Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Kuwadzana East MP Charlton Hwende has made a startling admission that his party abandoned former St Mary's MP Job Sikhala when he was in prison.

Sikhala was arrested in June 2022 and spent 595 days in Chikurubi Maximum Prison, accused of inciting public violence following clashes that broke out in Nyatsime during the funeral of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Moreblessing Ali, who was murdered.

Ali was killed by Zanu PF activist Pius Jamba Mukandi, who was sentenced to 30 years in jail after mutilating Ali's body and dumping her remains in a disused well in rural Nyatsime.

While Sikhala was in prison, reports emerged that he had been deserted by the opposition.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

The CCC refuted claims of neglecting Sikhala, with the then party deputy spokesperson Gift Ostalos Siziba dismissing the allegations and insisting that Sikhala was not neglected and that his family was being taken care of.

There was also speculation that Sikhala and his former party leader Nelson Chamisa had fallen out, but Chamisa recently officiated at Sikhala's book launch in Harare, seemingly dispelling rumours of a rift between the two.

However, speaking at the second launch of Sikhala's book, "Footprints in the Chains - The life Story of Job Sikhala," in Bulawayo recently, Hwende said he attended the event to apologise to Sikhala for the lack of support he received during his imprisonment.

"I came here by bus to apologise. We owe it to Job Sikhala. I was the secretary general of the last united CCC and we betrayed him. We didn't offer the solidarity that was expected by our ordinary members. And today I stand here to apologise," he said.

Hwende also stated that Sikhala's prolonged stay in prison was due to the democratic movement not pushing hard enough for his release.

"If the united democratic movement had offered the same solidarity that was expected by our ordinary members, this man would not have stayed in prison for over 500 days," Hwende said, to applause from the audience, including Sikhala himself and Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, among others.

Hwende, who appears to be warming up to rejoining his former party boss, Nelson Chamisa, in the political project Chamisa is building, has been engaging in spats with staunch Chamisa supporters on X, who are vowing that Hwende should not be allowed anywhere near Chamisa and the new democratic project he is developing.