. . . release Job Sikhala: Ali family
THE family of slain Citizens’ Coalition for Change activist Moreblessing Ali (pictured), who is yet to be buried since her brutal murder in May 2022, have welcomed the conviction of Pius Mukandi Jamba, but they are not convinced he is the only person involved in the matter.
RUVIMBO MUCHENJE
Silence Ali, son to the deceased, told The NewsHawks after the conviction of Jamba on 4 December, that there is more to the story than meets the eye.
“During trial, Pius Jamba denied the allegations of murder that were being levelled against him, saying he did not do it. That means he knows the people behind the murder of my mother,” said Silence.
During the trial, Mukandi through his lawyer Garikayi Mhishi denied killing Ali and claimed that he was framed. He stated that he did not know her and was at his mother’s homestead on the day of the murder. However, a video was submitted as evidence in court, where Mukandi admitted to committing the crime and demonstrated to the police officers how he did it.
Mukandi later distanced himself from the video, claiming that he appeared under duress and that the script was rehearsed.
Mukandi also alleged that he was assaulted and threatened with death if he did not admit to the murder charge. He admitted to consuming two bottles of whisky and crystal meth on the day of the alleged murder. Mukandi stated that he had planned a journey to his mother’s rural home months before Ali was murdered.
He also told the court that he surrendered himself to the police when they came looking for him in Hurungwe.
Ali adds that Jamba had accomplices that could be politically connected hence he is being sacrificed for their freedom.
“We still have questions on how he killed my mother, where he did it and how he did it. We want to know all those things. As a family, we are yet to be answered. The other people whom we know were involved in the murder of my mother are still at large,” said Silence.
When Moreblessing went missing on 24 May 2023, there were rumours that Jamba’s cousin Simbarashe Chisango, who is the Zanu PF youth chairperson in Nyatsime area, had spearheaded Moreblessing’s abduction.
For a long time the Ali murder was deemed a political case.
However, in delivering her ruling, Justice Esther Muremba said there was no evidence before the courts that proves that Ali’s murder was politically motivated.
Investigating officer Arison Mirimbo submitted in court that Moreblessing’s daughter, Nyasha, confessed that the late was no longer involved in politics.
He also testified that they found no evidence of Chisango’s involvement in Ali’s murder.
Muremba concurred, stating that “no witness mentioned anything to do with politics during their testimonies.”
After the murder and discovery of Moreblessing’s body, the then Zengeza West MP and lawyer, Job Sikhala, assumed the role of family lawyer and spokesperson.
He was appointed to help the family get all facts around the murder of their deceased relative. But he got arrested for allegedly inciting violence among the people of Nyatsime and has been in detention for over 500 days.
This, Silence said, was part of a ploy to cover up the murder of his mother and it still needs to be exposed.
“Job Sikhala has been in prison for almost two years now for representing my mother’s family. We still want him to help us get the truth out of Jamba and help us get closure before we can bury our mother. They prosecuted him for representing the Ali family, but they know that all that was done in trying to protect other people who are involved in the murder of my mother,” said Silence.
