Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa says he has reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the incarceration of Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala but to no avail.
Sikhala has been in custody without trial since his arrest on charges of inciting public violence in the wake of slain CCC activist Moreblessing Ali's funeral in Nyatsime in June last year.
Speaking to journalists in Harare Thursday morning, Chamisa said Mnangagwa ignored numerous overtures meant to resolve the Sikhala issue.
"In terms of the human rights situation, the situation has worsened look at the arrest of our brother Job Sikhala it's almost a year in prison without bail that tell you that the nation is rotten. He committed no offence, Sikhala is innocent but they have already adjudged him guilty without any trial it tells you how sick we are.
"I have even made efforts to write severally to Mr. Mnangagwa to say deal with this Sikhala issue it's embarrassing us internationally and nationally he has chosen not to respond. I wrote to him, private conversations to indicate to him what the issues are but he has ignored them. I have done my bit and I continue to do more particularly in the context of reaching out and making sure that we place the issue on the table," said Chamisa.
The opposition leader lamented the continued harassment of opposition activists and the partisan conduct of personnel in national institutions.
"We also see an increase in harassment of those in opposition, our meetings being banned, our rallies being cancelled, freedom of peace and freedom of association being muzzled. We have also seen across the whole country the partisan and illegal conduct of trying to populate our national institutions with Zanu PF propaganda.
"I get reports every day from those serving in our uniformed forces that they are getting what is said to be the civic education program whereby the program is trying to teach those institution party issues. Zimbabwe is bigger than any political party, our soldiers, our police and our intelligence services are not supposed to be subjected to party propaganda. They are not supposed to be subjected to a political but to serve national institutions and we want to maintain their integrity," said Chamisa.
