DETAINED Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmaker Job Sikhala’s freedom bid is turning out to be a lost cause after Harare magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka yesterday denied him bail for the umpteenth time.
Chakanyuka, instead ruled that his trial will proceed next
week on Monday.
Sikhala was denied bail in absentia on the matter where he
is facing a charge of inciting violence after the murder of opposition activist
Moreblessing Ali.
Despite his absence, there was heavy anti-riot police
outside the courtroom in anticipation of protests from opposition supporters.
The courtroom was, however, not packed.
His lawyer Paul Mutsatsa, who was standing in for Jeremiah
Bamu, told NewsDay that his client felt very disturbed by attending court
proceedings and be denied bail over and over again.
In her ruling, Chakanyuka said the new facts in the
defence's application could not change the circumstances upon which Sikhala was
initially denied bail.
“The court's refusal to grant the accused bail has not
changed. Same conditions still stand.
“The applicant showed that he has an attitude of violating
bail conditions,” Chakanyuka said.
“Having due consideration, these new facts have not changed
the facts why the accused was initially denied bail.”
She also stressed that there was no point of granting him
bail since investigations by the State were already complete.
The State also argued that some points submitted by the
defence could be ventilated during trial.
Defence also argued that Sikhala had to be granted bail as
his co-accused fellow CCC lawmaker Godfrey Sithole and the 14 Nyatsime
residents had been freed.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged
wife Marry Mubaiwa has challenged the Harare Magistrates Court’s jurisdiction
to handle her alleged attempted murder case saying the alleged incident
occurred in South Africa, hence local courts had no locus standi to preside
over the matter.
Mubaiwa’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa yesterday told the court
that she filed an application with the High Court to determine whether Harare
Magistrates Court can deal with the case.
Chakanyuka deferred the matter to tomorrow for ruling on
the defence’s application. Newsday
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