MUTARE – Outspoken opposition leader Job Sikhala was arrested on Saturday along with 38 activists in Mutare for allegedly convening an unsanctioned meeting under his pressure group, the National Democratic Working Group.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Sikhala and the group were charged under Section 7(1)(b) of the Maintenance of Public Order Act. The arrests have reignited concerns about political repression and human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
Police Confirm Mass Arrests
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests but provided limited details, stating:
“I can confirm that Job Sikhala and 21 others have been arrested in Mutare. More details will be released in due course.”
However, ZLHR places the number of detainees at 38, indicating a larger crackdown than initially reported.
A Familiar Pattern of Persecution
This latest arrest mirrors Sikhala’s 2022 detention, where he spent months in remand prison over allegations of inciting violence in Nyatsime, Chitungwiza. The former MDC legislator and firebrand activist has now been arrested over 60 times since entering politics in the early 2000s.
Zimbabwean opposition figures frequently face long pretrial detentions, leading critics to accuse the government of using the judicial system as a political weapon. Many believe Sikhala’s arrest is part of a broader effort to intimidate opposition voices and suppress political dissent.
