John Ndlovu
Political Commentator Effie Ncube has likened the current detention of Citizens Coalition for Change legislator Job Sikhala to that of former ZIPRA cadres the late Dumiso Dabengwa and the Late Lookout Masuku.
Speaking to Zim GBC News, Ncube said the ruling party has always eliminated its opponents through long spells in detention in which prisoners are denied their basic rights and medical care.
“Zimbabwe has a history of incarcerating leaders and activists for political reasons in violation of law and the international standards and norms.” Ncube stated.
He was responding to the current situation in which Chitungwiza legislator Job Sikhala has been wallowing in detention having been denied bail several times and clocking almost 200 days behind bars before trial.
He drew comparisons to Dumiso Dabengwa, a former ZIPRA Intelligence Chief and ZIPRA Commander Lookout Masuku being arrested in 1982 for allegedly planning a coup de tat against the ruling ZANU PF. The Supreme Court found Masuku, Dabengwa and four others not guilty in 1983 but police detained them again under emergency regulations holding them for four years.
Masuku was unlucky because he ended up dying in 1986 due to cryptococcal meningitis a condition that developed while he was in detention.
Fast forward to present day and we have Job Sikhala saying he fears for his health.
“Beginning immediately after independence we note a trend of denying political prisoners access to medical attention, some died in prison like Lookout Masuku in 1986 while Fletcher Dulini Ncube lost his eye in the 2000s while incarcerated for allegedly being part of the suspected kidnappers and assassins of war veteran leader Cain Nkala. Job Sikhala therefore joins a long list of political prisoners who have been cruelly, unlawfully and unconstitutionally denied access to medical care while behind bars.” Ncube added.
Below we publish in full a letter from prison that CCC Vice Chairperson Job Wiwa Sikhala penned addressing it to Zimbabweans and his party’s supporters.
“ _Dear Zimbabweans, it is with regret and most unfortunate that I now share with you a personal issue that I have kept to myself for the past three weeks.
It is something that I did not share with anyone and kept to myself for these past 3 weeks. I had kept it to myself for the sake of my children and my wife. I know how much it will affect them.
I have not been feeling well for the past three weeks. There is some painful strike that exudes itself from the left side which I don’t really understand and do not know what it is. I pray that it is not colon cancer. It is worrying me very seriously.
Since the day I vomited and had a ceaseless running stomach some time ago, which was widely reported, the prison authorities refused to allow my doctor to attend to me.
This is despite the fact that my doctors came several times in the company of my lawyers Beatrice Mtetwa and Doug Coltart. Since then, I have stopped requesting the permission of my doctor to attend to me. The pain is severe during the night especially when I sleep by that left side. I ask all of you dear Zimbabweans, to pray for me to be healed of this pain. There is nothing beyond the cure of God