By Everson Luhanga
- Job Sikhala and his uncle Alexander Ferrowst Thema face charges of illegally possessing explosives after being arrested in Pretoria on 6 November.
- Police say they found 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors in a car during a stop on Kgosi Mampuru Street.
Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Monday, facing charges of illegally possessing explosives.
Sikhala, 53, and his uncle, 78-year-old Alexander Ferrowst Thema, were arrested after police found explosives inside a car in Pretoria last week.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the pair face serious charges that could lead to long prison sentences if convicted. The case was postponed to 13 November for a formal bail application. Both men will remain in custody while investigations continue.
Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said police are still collecting evidence and that prosecutors will decide whether to oppose bail before the next hearing.
Police said the arrest followed a tip-off about a Ford Fiesta travelling along Kgosi Mampuru Street on 6 November. Officers stopped the vehicle and found 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors hidden inside. Sikhala and Thema were arrested on the spot.
The case has drawn wide attention in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Sikhala, a well-known opposition figure in Zimbabwe’s Citizens Coalition for Change, has been arrested several times before for criticising the government.
Some of his allies in Zimbabwe claim the new case is politically motivated and that he may have been set up, but Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party has dismissed those claims.
For now, Sikhala remains in custody in Pretoria as his legal team prepares to apply for bail later this week.
Pictured above: Job Sikhala in court after his arrest in Pretoria.
Image source: NPA
