By Tichaona Sibanda
24 May 2010
Outspoken leader of the newly formed MDC-99 party, Job Sikhala, on Monday launched a verbal attack on Robert Mugabe, describing him as an ‘unrepentant dictator.’
The former St Mary's legislator told SW Radio Africa that Zimbabwe has not moved an inch towards human rights reforms since the days Mugabe was in total power.
The MDC-99 leader was arrested on Friday for launching his MDC-99 party ‘without informing the police’. He’s also being accused of insulting Mugabe.
On Monday Sikhala appeared in court facing the two charges. He was released from custody and told to pay $100 bail. He’s now set to appear in court for trial on the 7th June. The presiding magistrate ordered Sikhala to report weekly at St Mary police station.
Sikhala appeared in court together with the party's secretary for local government and national housing, Taurai Magaya, and Aaron Muzungu, the secretary for information and publicity. They were all arrested Friday but Magaya and Muzungu had their charges dropped by the magistrate for lack of evidence.
Sikhala said he will hold a press conference on Wednesday to challenge the international community to confront Mugabe over human rights abuses and his intimidation of political opponents.
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