Kuwadzana East Member of Parliament, Charlton Hwende, has publicly acknowledged that the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) failed to adequately support former St Mary’s MP Job Sikhala during his prolonged detention.
Sikhala was incarcerated in June 2022 and spent 595 days at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
He faced charges of inciting violence following disturbances in Nyatsime, which took place during the funeral of slain CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.
Ali had been brutally murdered by ZANU PF activist Pius Jamba Mukandi, who later received a 30-year prison sentence for killing and dismembering her before disposing of her body in an abandoned well.
While Sikhala remained behind bars, claims surfaced that he had been abandoned by the opposition.
The CCC strongly rejected these accusations at the time, with then-deputy spokesperson Gift Ostalos Siziba asserting that the party had not neglected him and that his family continued to receive support.
Rumors of a fallout between Sikhala and CCC leader Nelson Chamisa also circulated widely.
However, Chamisa’s appearance at the launch of Sikhala’s book in Harare seemed to challenge those claims and suggested ongoing ties between the two.
At a second launch event for Sikhala’s autobiography, “Footprints in the Chains – The Life Story of Job Sikhala,” held in Bulawayo, Hwende made a heartfelt apology.
“I travelled here by bus to say sorry,” he told the audience. “We owe Job Sikhala a sincere apology. As the former secretary general of the last united CCC, I admit we failed him. We didn’t give him the solidarity that our supporters expected.”
Job Sikhala
He added that Sikhala’s extended imprisonment was, in part, a result of the broader democratic movement’s inaction:
“Had we mobilized the kind of solidarity expected of us, Sikhala would not have remained in prison for over 500 days.”
Hwende’s comments were met with applause from attendees, including Sikhala himself and Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart.
In recent months, Hwende has shown signs of gravitating back toward Nelson Chamisa, who is believed to be forming a new political initiative following internal divisions within the CCC.
However, his moves have sparked backlash from Chamisa’s loyal supporters on social media, with some arguing that Hwende should not be welcomed into the emerging political formation due to past betrayals.
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