Staff Reporter
MDC-Alliance Vice Chairperson, Job Sikhala’s son, Job Sikhala Junior (21) was recently arrested for allegedly murdering a suspected thief that was attacked by a mob in St Mary’s around 2am sometime last month.
Circumstances surrounding his arrest are that on 12 August 2021 around 2am, the deceased Paul Masarakufa of number 9 Hombarume road, Zengeza in Chitungwiza was apprehended at number 582 St Mary’s Chitungwiza, opposite Job Sikhala’s house, by residents while he was trying to break in.
According to an eye witness only identified as Dhadza, Job Sikhala Junior who is a law student at a local University, together with one Stewart who is still at large, went to Huruyadzo shopping centre and forcibly took handcuffs from one of the security guards manning the shops. They allegedly handcuffed Masarakufa, teamed up with other residents including owners of the house which Masarakufa wanted to break in, beat him up until he died.
It is said that the Police later arrived at the scene and managed to arrest two people excluding Sikhala Junior, and the two have since appeared in court and are currently out on bail. Sikhala Junior was on a later date arrested after eye witnesses positively identified him and alerted the Police. He appeared in court on 9 September 2021 and is being represented by Freddy Michael Masarirevu and Advocate Silvester Hashiti.
Dzadza told this publication that Sikhala Junior has already started exhibiting violent and thuggish behaviour just like his father.
“This young man, Sikhala Junior is slowly becoming more violent than his father. It was not a surprise that he was involved in this murder case. The boy is now into drugs and belongs to a well known gang of thugs who sell drugs despite him being at the University,” said Dhadza.
“It’s unfortunate that despite all this, Sikhala view his son as an obedient child and a role model to many. After the arrest, we were surprised to hear him saying his son was a quiet guy who could not even kill a fly,” he said.
Dhadza said Job Sikhala surprisingly view the murder allegations as purely an attack against his family. Recently his 18 year old daughter Deboral Sikhala was arrested for failing to properly put on a face mask.
The Zengeza West legislator rose to notoriety as a student at the University of Zimbabwe where he started his political activism in the 1990s. He reportedly belonged to the most violent crop of students which included the likes of the late MDC spokesperson Learnmore Jongwe, among others.
Sikhala became popular among opposition supporters due to his violent nature. He also led demonstrations against University administration at the University of Zimbabwe.
During his tenure as Member of the House of Assembly in 2000 to 2005, Sikhala was involved in acts of violence and sabotage when he was accused of torching a bus in Chitungwiza, together with other rowdy youths.
Sikhala has on many occasions made false kidnapping allegations, pointing fingers at the country’s security sector. He has been involved in embarrassing fist fights and insulted the country’s leadership, among many other dreadful shenanigans.
