The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi on Thursday described CCC leader Nelson Chamisa as a pathological liar after the opposition leader told journalists that he had been barred from meeting jailed CCC activists by the ZANU PF politician.
On Thursday Chamisa visited Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison to see jailed opposition MPs Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole and 14 other CCC activists who have all been languishing in remand prison at Chikurubi since June.
Chamisa said that after being made to wait at the jail for more than two hours, the officer in charge, one Hukurume, informed him that he had been instructed by Ziyambi that he (Chamisa) will not be allowed to see Sikhala and the other CCC activists.
However, speaking to ZimLive, Ziyambi castigated Chamisa for trying to drag him into the matter. He said:
That guy is a pathological liar; who did I give that instruction to? I am not even aware of his request to go and visit the prison.
I do not stoop that low to go down to administer regulations on who is supposed to go to prison and who should not.
I have never been asked for permission for relatives to visit prisoners. I am actually hearing it from you that he is saying I denied him entry, when? I am very busy.
Chamisa is a politician; he plays to the gallery. I don’t know about it.
Call the officer in charge and ask him about it. I think that is the fairest thing that you can do because you want me to comment on hearsay. Call the actual person.
I cannot comment on hearsay. He never came to me but he is accusing me of things that happened when I was not there.
I have not spoken to any prison officer concerning Chamisa.
Chamisa’s visit to Chikurubi on Thursday came after Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Chief Director Legal Resources and Corporate Affairs Commissioner Willie Risiro granted him permission to visit his comrades.
The CCC leader’s first attempt to visit the prison was denied two weeks ago, prompting him to engage lawyers to demand access.