Opposition MDC Alliance Deputy Chairperson and Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala who was arrested on Friday and charged with incitement to commit public violence has complained before Harare Magistrate Lazini Ncube that he feels unsafe to continue being kept at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after the prison officers threatened him with death.
His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo complained before Magistrate Ncube that one of the prison officers named George Mutimbanyoka openly told the combative opposition legislator that he will die in prison cells while advising him to give them phone numbers to his next kin.
Nkomo further told the court that Sikhala was kept in both handcuffs and leg irons the whole of 23 August on top of being put in prison cells with inmates who had tested positive to COVID-19.
“Mr Sikhala was told by Prison officer George Mutimbanyoka that he would going to die in prison cells and was asked to provide a phone number to his next of kin who was going to be informed of his death,” said Nkomo.
He appealed to Magistrate Ncube that his client did not feel safe at Chikurubi Maximum prison.
Nkomo further demanded Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Chikurubi inmates and sanitization of prison cells.
“He was told by fellow inmates in D Class that seven of them had tested positive for Covid-19 the previous day. On the same day, four had tested positive to the deadly virus,” said Nkomo.
Magistrate Ncube directed the prisons authorities sanitise the cells for the benefit of inmates.
Meanwhile, Sikhala application challenging his placement on remand continues tomorrow at 9am.
His lawyers are insisting that the charges being levelled against him do not warrant a criminal case as he was exercising his constitutional rights.
