The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has sparked outrage by blocking a solidarity rally for jailed opposition politician Job Wiwa Sikhala. The rally, organised by the Job Sikhala Solidarity Council, was intended to put pressure on the government to release Sikhala, who has been in prison since June 2022 on charges of incitement to public violence. The police claimed that the rally did not meet the requirements of the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Maintenance_of_Peace_and_Order_Bill_(MOPA)/">Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA)</a> and therefore could not be sanctioned, <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200021202/police-block-sikhala-rally">NewsDay</a> reported citing a letter from the police. Read the letter in part:
<blockquote>
The notification to hold a procession rally in solidarity with Job Sikhala at Huruyadzo Community Hall on December 23 is prohibited. The notification does not meet the requirements of section 7 of the Mopa Act. Therefore, your event was not sanctioned.
</blockquote>
In response, the organisers of the rally accused the police of using Mopa as a pretext to stifle dissent and deny citizens their constitutional rights. They condemned the “systematic restriction of all activities done in the name of Job Sikhala by the Zimbabwean State”. They said:
<blockquote>
The Job Sikhala Solidarity Council notes with disgust the blocking of the December 23 solidarity rally by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), it said.
The ZRP claims that the notification failed to meet the requirements of Mopa, an excuse that has been consistently used to deny citizens their freedom of association and assembly.
It is apparent that the name Job Sikhala attracts repression from the regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. The State has caged Sikhala for more than 18 months, but they still shiver at the mere mention of Sikhala’s name.
The council will not be deterred by this setback. A series of solidarity activities are lined up to rally the millions of pro-democracy campaigners in Zimbabwe and beyond to collectively demand the release of Job Sikhala.
</blockquote>
This incident is seen as yet another example of the government’s crackdown on opposition voices and the suppression of freedom of assembly and association. It highlights the ongoing concerns about democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe. The blocking of the rally and Sikhala’s continued detention without trial raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of the judicial system.
<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2022/06/14/just-in-moreblessing-ali-family-lawyer-job-sikhala-arrested/">Job Sikhala was arrested for allegedly inciting violence</a> following the gruesome murder of activist Moreblessing Ali. In May 2023, Ali, who was a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the main opposition party in Zimbabwe, was brutally murdered by Pius Mukandi Jamba, and her mutilated body was found dumped in a well in Nyatsime. During Ali’s funeral wake, clashes erupted between ZANU PF and CCC supporters. Sikhala, who represented Ali’s family in seeking justice, was arrested and held in prison without trial for inciting the violence.
Meanwhile, Pius Jamba, the perpetrator of Ali’s murder, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/12/20/moreblessing-alis-killer-pius-mukandi-sentenced-to-30-years-in-jail/">was sentenced to 30 years in prison</a> by Harare High Court Judge Esther Muremba. However, Sikhala remains in prison, having spent 555 days in pre-trial detention as of December 22, 2023, for his involvement in seeking justice for Moreblessing Ali.
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