Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmakers Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole declined to hold a meeting on Saturday with Senator Douglas Mwonzora of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) when he visited Chikurubi Maximum Prison where they have been in remand prison for four months for allegedly inciting public violence and defeating the course of justice.
Freddy Michael Masarirevu, the two lawmakers’ lawyer, said Mwonzora attempted to see them despite instructions from Sikhala and Sithole that he was not welcome.
In a tweet, Masarirevu said, “Hon. SIkhala an Hon. Sithole want the public to know that on the 14th of October they were advised that Senator Douglas Mwonzora intended to visit them. This information came though the prison security team. The two declined the request and gave the officials their reasons, which were communicated on the very same day.
“On Saturday the 15th of October 2022, the same senior prison security officials came, informing them that Sen. Mwonzora had come to visit them, despite their express statement declining the request. Hon. Sikhala and Hon. Sithole again refused and opted to remain in their cells whilst Sen. Mwonzora waited outside the gate. Some prison officials confirmed today that Sen. Mwonzora did not even make it to the second gate. There are five gates one has to pass through to be able to see inmates.”
Masarievu said it is “very sad and unfortunate that a person as senior and learned as Sen. Mwonzora would mislead the public into thinking that he met Hon. Sikhala and Hon. Sithole in prison. His public statement which he issued to members of the press whom he went with to Chikurubi Maximum claiming to have met both Hon. Sikhala and Hon. Sithole is therefore incorrect and should be dismissed with the uttermost contempt.
“Hon. Sithole and Hon. Sikhala are very angry at some senior officials in Chikurubi for wanting to impose a visit on them. The security officials even made a suggestion that Sen. Mwonzora be allowed to come directly to their cells and guarantee privacy, a request that was turned down. As much as the gesture is appreciated, the Honorable MPs wonder why Sen. Mwonzora invited members of the press to come with him if the visit was genuine. Secondly, why would he even insist on visiting them when they made it clear that they were not comfortable meeting him?
The two are also questioning why officials allowed Sen. Mwonzora permission to visit them yet a similar request was denied for (CCC) President Nelson Chamisa. The two are now worried and concerned about their welfare and security.”
In a video circulated by the MDC-T information and publicity department, Mwonzora claimed that he met the two together with 14 other CCC activists that were arrested soon after the death of party supporter, Moreblessing Ali, who was allegedly killed and her body chopped into pieces by a person linked to Zanu PF.
Ali’s remains are still at Chitungwiza General Hospital, a couple of months she died. Sikhala is representing the family, which vowed not to lay her to rest until her killers are jailed.