Job Sikhala and 39 Others Detained, Released Without Charge in Zimbabwe

Staff Reporter

Job Sikhala, a former Member of Parliament for St Mary’s, and 39 other members of the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) were arrested in Mutare, Zimbabwe, on Saturday afternoon while attending a meeting at a private resort. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) allegedly raided the meeting, assaulting and detaining the group for hours before releasing them without charge.

Sikhala described the raid as “like a scene from a dodgy movie,” with multiple visits from police officers and members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) before the arrest. The group was initially charged with breaching Section 7 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA), but Sikhala argued that the law does not apply to private meetings.

Sikhala narrated episodic visits to their meeting by police officers and those from the President’s Office before being raided and heavily assaulted, including one unnamed officer, who reportedly pointed a gun at top official Wurayi Zembe.

“Initially, a Toyota Hilux double cab with dark windows arrived with 5 members of the CIO led by Muvhangeri, whose home area is Buhera. They arrived and parked at the premises and engaged with the NDWG Chief National Organiser Democrat Engineer Joelson Mugari.

“After about 5 minutes they left. A few minutes later, another vehicle, a Toyota Hilux without number plates arrived with members of the Police Intelligence (PI) formerly PISI & members of the CID Law and Order led by Ngweme.”

According to Sikhala, his group, through one Engineer Joelson Mugari, engaged the police in vain.

“While he was engaging them, 3 truckloads of riot Police and AK47 wielding police officers descended on the venue led by a plain clothed officer called Shonhiwa.

“The other AK47-wielding police officer pointed his gun at Dr. Zembe screaming ‘I am going to shoot you’. Dr Zembe remained calm and watched the drama. This happened right next to me,” he said.

Sikhala further complained of being commandeered into waiting pick-up trucks during heavy and torrential rains.

“Rains pounded on us from Beats of Forest to Penhalonga Police Station around 12 noon. We all got so wet that we looked like drowned rats when we finally arrived at Penhalonga Police Station which was a distance away.

“All our phones were switched off and we were asked to sit down on some dirty floor. Recording of each individual’s details took about 3 hours. We were suddenly told that we are no longer handling your case and you must be taken to Mutare Central CID Law and Order.

“At the CID Law and Order we were not asked to plead to any charge but they took Engineer Joelson Mugari, Dr. Wurayayi Zembe, Nyabeze and myself for interviews.”

Sikhala’s group arrest rekindles memories of the arrest of Senator Jameson Timba and other 78 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists. These were arrested in June last year for gathering to commemorate the Day of the African Child, which the police said was illegal. They spent six months behind bars before being released. When they called us into their office for interviews one by one, I had never come across such silly questions like the questions we were asked, “Who is funding your activities? If your National Democratic People’s Convention asks you to form a political party, are you going to form one? What is your time period to hold the People’s Convention? How is the organisation structured.? What is your agenda as the National Democratic Working Group? Are you planning any demonstrations?”.

When I laughed and told them that hey “Ngwende, the questions you are asking me, what do they have anything to do with the arrest? Are they part of the charge you have preferred against us?” Ngwende, the Law and Order officer incoherently answered, “Please, we haven’t charged you with any offence. Toda kungozivana.” I said when we were arrested at the Beats of the Forest, a police officer who said is the Officer Commanding Mutare District called Shonhiwa pronounced that we were arrested for breaching Section 7 of MOPA. That’s why we have been transferred from Penhalonga Police station to here at Mutare Police Station Law and Order section. They stammered and couldn’t answer my concerns with my valid answers.

I told them that as a lawyer myself, I would not allow them to abuse me by asking qns unrelated to the reasons why we were arrested. After some minutes, they took me to the room, where Dr. Wurayayi Zembe, Joelson Mugari, and Nyabeze were. What surprised all of us is that they were in a hurry to get answers to their qns. I saw them taking two elderly women. They did not take long with them.

A few moments later, they called me and Dr. Zembe and told us that, “we want to talk to you as the leaders of these people. In our investigations, we have come to the conclusion that you have not committed any crime. So we ask you to tell your people that you must urgently leave this police station. We are only going to remain with your Chief National Organiser Joelson Mugari.”

I told them that Joelson Mugari is an acute sugar diabetes patient. He did not travel with his medication. It will create difficulties problems for them. He recently collapsed in his rural home in Buhera and only survived after he got admitted to Parirenyatwa Hospital for two weeks. It would be prudent if they release him in the custody of his lawyers who were present with us from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and bring him tomorrow if you still need him. They refused. They remained behind with him and our lawyers. Another team of lawyers who were on their way from Harare had to make a U-Turn in Rusape after they heard that the 40 of us have been released and left the issue of Joelson Mugari in the hands of the lawyers in Mutare.

As per my warning, Joelson Mugari collapsed in the cells after his sugar levels rose to astronomical levels. He was no longer able to talk. When his sugar was tested, it was noticed that it had risen to 28. He had no medication. People had to rush to pharmacies in Mutare to find the medication. He started recovering, and they took him to court today, where they released him on USD300 bail on the charge of convening an unsanctioned meeting.