A year has gone since the abduction and murder of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist, Moreblessing Ali, in Nyatsime and her remains are still to be buried.
Ali’s remains were found in a disused well on 11 June 2022, 18 days after her kidnapping, the previous month.
Her family has declared they will not bury her remains until their lawyer, Job Sikhala who was arrested for allegedly inciting public violence, has been released.
Sikhala is accused of recording and publishing a video demanding justice for Ali.
He was arrested three days after Ali’s body was found and has since spent nearly a year in pretrial detention at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
Ali’s alleged killer Pius Mukandi, alias Jamba has been in remand prison for almost a year after being arrested while trying to flee from justice.
In April this year, he was remanded in custody pending his indictment for trial at the High Court.
In a statement to remember Ali, CCC said it was committed to seeking justice for Moreblessing Ali. Reads the statement:
One year ago, our Change Champion, Moreblessing Ali, went missing, and a few weeks later, her mutilated body was found in a well located in Nyatsime, owned by the mother of a ZANU PF member named Simbarashe Chisango.
Despite allegations against Pius Jamba, a ZANU PF member, no justice has been served for Moreblessing Ali’s brutal murder.
Sadly, her lawyer, Job Sikhala, who represented her case, has also been punished and has currently spent 344 days in pre-trial detention.
We remain committed to seeking justice for Moreblessing Ali.
Meanwhile, Sikhala, who was arrested on 14 June alongside Chitungwiza North MP, Godfrey Sithole, and 14 other CCC activists, has been denied bail several times.
On 03 May 2023, Sikhala was convicted of obstructing the course of justice and was given a wholly suspended six months sentence and a six-month jail term with an option of paying a US$600 fine.
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