Zimbabwe’s outspoken opposition leader, Job Sikhala, has been arrested in Pretoria, South Africa, after police allegedly found explosives in his vehicle. The 53-year-old former lawmaker is being held at a local police station in the capital pending a court appearance on Monday.
According to South African authorities, the arrest followed a tip-off about a Ford Fiesta suspected of transporting explosives. Upon searching the vehicle, officers reportedly discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors. The men in the car were aged 53 and 78, though police have not officially confirmed their identities.
However, Zimbabwean and South African media outlets have reported that the younger man is Sikhala — a prominent member of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and a longtime critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Sikhala’s brother, Harry Sikhala, told AFP that lawyers had confirmed his arrest, saying:
“He has been arrested, as far as I know. He was stopped by police with our uncle while returning from meeting friends. It’s not clear how explosives came to be in the vehicle.”
Sikhala was released from prison in January 2024 after spending nearly 600 days in pre-trial detention. He had been convicted of inciting public violence, a charge his supporters widely described as politically motivated. In a post-release interview, Sikhala admitted that his incarceration had deeply affected him, saying, “Everything about me was eroded during the period of my incarceration.”
The arrest comes amid rising political tensions in Zimbabwe. The ruling ZANU-PF recently announced support for constitutional amendments that could extend President Mnangagwa’s time in office beyond current limits. Since the announcement, several civil rights activists and opposition members have been detained under unclear circumstances.
Both suspects are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on charges of illegal possession of explosives. The case is likely to intensify scrutiny on Mnangagwa’s government and the treatment of political opponents both at home and abroad.
