One rule for some, another for others
It’s not the gravity of allegations or crime that matters in Zimbabwe but who the suspect is and who they associate with.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Job Sikhala has been languishing behind bars for eight months without trial and by the look of things he is far from getting out of the maximum prison.
Sikhala is accused of inciting violence at the funeral of slain opposition activist, Moreblessing Ali in May last year.
Ali’s mutilated remains were found dumped in a shallow well outside Harare. The suspected killer, a well known Zanu-PF member, confessed to the murder in court.
Sikhala’s crime is that he incited mourners at Ali’s funeral to ‘avenge’ her death and that meant violence and clashes between the two party supporters as tension was already high.
For that, Sikhala remains behind bars without a full trial.
Now compare this to the fate of two popular figures who are very close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa; they never even spent a night in holding cells despite being accused of serious crimes.
Zanu-PF legislator and close ally of the President, Justice Mayor Wadyajena and his co-accused are off the hook despite being accused of fraud and money laundering involving US$5million (P65 million) in public funds.
They were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission but recently a Harare Magistrate removed them from remand, citing the state’s failure to prosecute them six months after their arrest.
By the way, Wadyajena and his co-accused were granted bail at their first appearance in court.
In yet another case, which clearly shows that the law is indeed an ass, President Mnangagwa’s niece and Zimbabwe Miners Federation boss, Henrietta Rushwaya last week also got away with crime.
A Harare Magistrate ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict Rushwaya, who was arrested in 2020 trying to smuggle 6.9kg of gold valued at US$330 000 at Robert Mugabe International Airport.
Because of their relations with the President, Rushwaya and Wadyajena are free people despite their alleged crimes and as if to spite those who dare criticise him, Wadyajena continues to flaunt his wealth which some say is ill-gotten.
No wonder Zimbabwe was recently ranked number 157 out of 180 most corrupt countries in the world (I fear for the nations ranked lower than us!).
Such cases are a clear indication of how rife corruption is as one can easily get away with any crime as long as they have money and rub shoulders with the who is who of this country.
