SA: Sikhala appears in court over explosives; bail hearing deferred to Thursday

By Agencies

Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala and his co-accused will have their formal bail application heard on Wednesday after briefly appearing in Pretoria magistrate court on charges of possessing explosives, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said.

Sikhala, 53, and Alexander Thema, 78, were arrested on Nov. 7 after South African police discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors in their vehicle during a search on the N14 highway near Pretoria, according to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.

The former Zimbabwean legislator and National Democratic Working Group leader has denied knowledge of the explosives found in the Ford Fiesta they were traveling in, his South African lawyer Eric Mabuza said after meeting with Sikhala at Pretoria Central Police Station.

Police acted on a tip-off that a vehicle matching the description of the silver Ford Fiesta was transporting explosives, Mathe said. Both men were arrested shortly after passing the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre while traveling toward Johannesburg.

Sikhala’s associates have claimed the explosives were planted as part of a politically motivated setup. Jacob Ngarivhume, another Zimbabwean opposition figure, said on social media that one of Sikhala’s hosts had taken his car keys before police later intercepted the vehicle.

The National Democratic Working Group, a civic organization aligned with Sikhala, said it suspected foul play and described the incident as an “international sting operation” targeting the opposition leader.

Sikhala has been a prominent critic of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. He spent 595 days in pre-trial detention in Zimbabwe before being released in January 2024 with a suspended sentence on incitement charges.

South African authorities have not established the intended use of the explosives, though police sources said such materials are commonly linked to illegal mining activities and ATM bombings in Gauteng and Free State provinces.

Sikhala had been traveling to South Africa regularly for medical treatment following his lengthy detention in Zimbabwe, according to his legal team. His arrest has drawn widespread attention across southern Africa given his political profile and history of more than 65 arrests in Zimbabwe over two decades.

The formal bail hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at Pretoria magistrate court, where prosecutors are expected to outline their case against both accused.