Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa has been denied access to 12 jailed party activists and Members of Parliament, Godfrey Sithole and Job Sikhala at Chikurubi Maximum prison after officials reportedly advised him to seek clearance from President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ironically, there is no law that prohibits an individual from visiting inmates in prisons.
Addressing media outside Chikurubi Maximum prison, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba said they were concerned about selective treatment they are getting from authorities.
“Very unfortunate, the president was not allowed both in his personal capacity as a lawyer and an advocate of the Court to see our comrades and champions who are inside. The instruction we got was that president Chamisa is a high profiled politician in our country and can only be cleared by the President of the country or the Commissioner General something which is not in the law of this country but that’s what we got but we are going to be engaging in terms of the prisons to make sure that we get access to our comrades,” said Siziba.
“These comrades have been given charges that are concocted they are actually victims of the violence that happened in Nyatsime. Twelve of them are victims of Zanu PF organized violence but they have not been given access to the lawyers of their choice,” he added.
The CCC activists are facing charges of unleashing violence in Nyatsime last month while Sikhala is facing charges of instigating violence on Zanu PF members.
The activists were denied bail by the Harare Magistrates court and have since approached the High Court to appeal the rulings.
