CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) former legislator and deputy chairman Job Sikhala has penned yet another heart-wrending letter questioning why the Emmerson Mnangagwa-led regime has kept him in jail for 16 months without justice being served.
The letter, tells a story of a man who is grieving over failure by the state to give him an opportunity to respond to allegations in a court of law as per the constitution of Zimbabwe.
Sikhala stands accused of obstruction of justice, a charge he denied.
In the letter, he warned that there is fake love, back stabbers, genuine friends.
He talked about his love for his kids and wife, their suffering journey ever since he was taken into prison as they are being taken care of by other men/women while he is confined to a cell at a Maximum prison on the other end of Harare.
Sikhala expressed his wish for a better Zimbabwe and his willingness to continue suffering for the truth; his principles and appreciation for those who have shown him love, questioning why he is still in jail.
"I write to all of you after my almost 16 months of incarceration in the Hitlerian concentration camp of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
"I am under political persecution by the regime in Zimbabwe. I did not commit any crime. I am not a criminal, I will never be one and no one will create one out of me. I am a political prisoner, persecuted for being an opponent to the regime," Sikhala said.
The prominent lawyer who was arrested on June 14, 2022 says he has been displaced by the Mnangagwa regime.
"I am displaced. Congratulations to my persecutors for achieving, the political profit they wanted.
"I am advised that my law offices have been shut down and ruined. In their illusory thoughts, they think I will count losses, and in their tradition of thoughtlessness, they are making comical antics and inebriated postures."
Sikhala quotes two great men to describe his situation saying he is ready to die for the truth and his principles and honesty.
Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe said, "True leadership demands complete subjugation of self, absolute honesty, integrity and uprightness of character, courage and fearlessness and above all, a consuming love one's people".
Professor Arthur Mutambara goes further to teach us that, "you can influence and change reality without official or formal power, and yet you can have the position of authority while having no influence or impact".
He acknowledged: "It must be known that a leader must not have a delicate skin. I told myself that if I truly believe for what I am suffering for, that is, the cause of the downtrodden, as symbolized by Moreblessing Ali, I must be prepared to suffer or even to die for the principles and beliefs.
"I will not accept anything or anyone to change my principles. Since boyhood, it was naturally inherent in me, to give a voice to the downtrodden and more importantly, protect their rights against the scourge of abuse of power by those in leadership positions."
Sikhala was jailed for allegedly inciting public violence as he represented the family of CCC activist, Moreblessing Ali, who was murdered by suspected Zanu Pf supporters.
Ali's remains are still to be buried over a year after her death.
According to Sikhala, his incacerration was long planned but he has come to accept reality.
"Once in jail, l quickly notified myself that surviving prison, calls for immense reserves of mental strength. I had to arm myself with those things that enhanced my inner stability and discarded everything that might weaken me."
Sikhala said he has now become hardened and warned his enemies that their efforts to break him had failed.
"I started reading voraciously, books that sustained me and internalized where I read about the lives of others who were once in similar position with my new station in life, whose connective theme is the human struggle and triumph against insurmountable ordeals.
"In my reading, I came across the truth by James Baldwin, who told me that, 'Force does not work the way its advocates seem to think it does. It does not reveal to the victim the strength of his adversary. On the contrary, it reveals the weaknesses, even the panic of his adversary, and this revelation invests the victim with patience. Furthermore, it is fatal to create too many victims".
Further, he explained that imprisonment, murder, poisoning, torturing and the use of terror and violence as instruments of political organization by unpopular regimes, is the weakest and most unsophisticated weapons and methods used against political opponents.
"It depicts cowardice and desperation as he speaks about the regimes plans to assassinate him last December.
"I was tipped last about the plot to assassinate me through poisoning, I did not linger. No one will grow horns."
Sikhala warns adding he is still prepared to suffer martyrdom for the sake of freedom of our oppressed masses.
In the letter, Sikhala told Zimbabweans to choose where they belong in the country's current state of affairs.
"The moment has come to choose. The masses of our people have been reduced to destitute members of society. We have been pauperized with unmatched increasing misery. Can anyone please tell me the reasons why I am in jail?
Sikhala condemned what he termed as fake people who pretend to love others while behind the scenes, they will be busy planning for someone's downfall.
"I was able to think, discover and reflect on many things including my relations with certain persons, who on the daylight behave like angels, but are profound witches at night.
"Like Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, who portrayed Nelson Mandela as a friend and publicly called for his release, but behind the scenes condemned the release Mandela Campaign as a gimmick and privately warned the apartheid military establishment that, Mandela was the most dangerous threat to national security and national stability and that it would be irresponsible to let him out.
"Bishop Abel Tendekai Muzorewa in Rhodesia pretended to be holding an anointed scepter, roaming around the four corners of Zimbabwe, from East to West, from the South to the North, he was publicly denouncing the incarceration of the nationalist leaders, but privately he was telling the Rhodesian kingpin, Ian Douglas Smith, not to dare release Joshua Nkomo, Robert Mugabe and other nationalist leaders as they were terrorists and a danger to national security.
"Martin Luther King Jnr taught me that if a man has not found something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.
Sikhala reassured his true supporters to this day that they have found a special place in his heart.
"Your solid personality is immeasurable and shall ever be remembered. Solid fraternal brotherhood, in the environment of our opportunistic struggle, like the one we have today, where selfishness and deception are the order of the day is a rare golden characteristic of individuals.
"Blackmailing is the art of foolishness through distorting someone's name for the purpose of opportunism," Sikhala warned opportunists using his name for material or political benefits.
"Thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart, to all those who are standing with me in Zimbabwe and worldwide.
"Your love is recorded and will never be forgotten. I was stunned with the swift response of love after the visit by my children here in prison bidding me farewell back to school, in tears that I haven't paid their school fees and that they were going back to school without supplementary needs. I warned them that tears are not good under whatever circumstances.
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"I have told them to brace for the worst and that they must start to disabuse their mindset from thinking that the situation is till the same"
Sikhala thanked his lawyer Harrison Nkomo, who he said was representing him free of charge in addition to paying school fees for his children and other fellow CCC officials.
"Despite having spent hundreds of hours representing me for free on the Moreblessing Ali cases, paid fees for my two daughters at boarding schools.
"Honourable David Coltart through the Family Trust paid Fidel's fees.
"Honourable Rusty Markham, my new member of Parliament for my new domicile, Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, came on board with some significant contributions to my other son's school fees who is doing 'A' level.
"Such love is not taken for granted. It is a mark that will live forever in my heart. I thank you brothers. I also would like to thank all those who helped my family during my difficult times.
He said, "If need be, I will direct my wife to sell every property of ours to the last spoon to sustain my family during the period of my incarceration occasioned by my oppressors.
"It is foolish for anyone to underestimate my inner resolve to suffer any consequences for the cause I am standing for. I did not commit any crime. I am a subject of tyrannical oppression because of my political beliefs that will never be changed by anyone even under the threat of a gun pointed on my head.
"Pray for me, pray for Zimbabwe, I love you all!" concluded Sikhala.
