Breaking: Job Sikhala Found Guilty

Opposition activist Job Sikhala who has been in detention for over 300 days has reportedly been found guilty and is awaiting sentencing on Wednesday, 3 May.

According to reports, he is expected back in court at 2:15 PM for mitigation and possible sentencing.

Sikhala allegedly posted on social media a video relating to the murder of Ms Moreblessing Ali and the violence that ensued in Nyatsime sometime last year.

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Sikhala is charged with obstruction or defeating the course of justice.

According to the State, the videos were aimed at hindering police investigations into the killing of Ms Ali and the violence that rocked Nyatsime.

Defence lawyers, Mr Harrison Nkomo and Mr Jeremiah Bhamu argued that the video in which the State is basing its allegations was tempered since the State did not produce the original video or the person who filmed it.

Nkomo and Bhamu brought a video expert, Olaf Koschke who testified before the court that the videos uploaded on the internet could have been edited before being published.

Initially, Sikhala had applied for discharge at the close of the State’s case saying the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against him from the testimonies of its witnesses.

Three State witnesses had testified during the trial.

The State had opposed the application saying witnesses’ testimonies corroborated evidence proving that Sikhala had a case to answer.

This comes a few days after Jacob Ngarivhume was handed a harsh sentence of four years for calling for protests against corruption.