Job Sikhala

Last updated

Job Sikhala, nicknamed Wiwa (born 1972), is a Zimbabwean politician.

Career

Sikhala is the current Deputy National Chairman of the Citizen Coalition for Change Since July 2018, he has been the member of parliament for Zengeza West. He was formerly a member of parliament for the St Mary's constituency.

Sikhala was born in the former Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in 1972. He graduated from Mazungunye High School in Bikita, [1] and went on to the University of Zimbabwe, where he received a bachelor's degree in history and economic history and a law degree. [1] [2] At university, he was involved with student activism. [3]

In 1999, Sikhala joined the Movement for Democratic Change at its inception and was part of the national executive of the party. In the 2000 elections, he was elected to parliament from the St. Mary's constituency. In the party schism of 2005, Sikhala followed Welshman Ncube and was part of the MDC–N. In 2014 Sikhala further split from the MDC-N to create the MDC 99 faction. [4] After the reunification of the MDC in 2018, Sikhala replaced Tendai Biti as Deputy National Chairman in May 2019. [5]

In 2019, Sikhala was charged by the Zimbabwe government with treason. [6] [7] In February 2020, he was cleared of those charges. [8] [9] On January 30, 2024, Job Sikhala was sentenced to two years in prison, wholly suspended. He was released from custody to form a new political party called Zimbabwe Rainbow Coalition, which he is the founding President. Job Sikhala is accused by the authorities of inciting violence. [10] He was convicted for inciting violence on social media, but managed to evade jail time after being given a nine month suspended sentence and a $500 fine. [11]

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "The True Life Story Of Job Sikhala". Gambakwe Media. 8 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Job Sikhala". BBC News. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2003.
  3. ↑ Matikinye, Ray (13 October 2007). "Sikhala says funding claims a hoax". The Zimbabwe Independent . Archived from the original on 4 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Mudimu, Leslie (23 August 2017). "Tsvangirai's MDC has slowly evolved into a version of Zanu-PF". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Zimbabwe: Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), including political status, organizational structure, leadership, activities, relationship with other political parties, and membership cards; treatment of MDC members by authorities (2017-May 2019)". European Country of Origin Information Network of the Austrian Red Cross’ department ACCORD. 11 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Kumbuka, Desmond; Marawanyika, Godfrey (9 July 2019). "Zimbabwe Opposition Official Charged With Treason, Lawyers Say". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Zimbabwe opposition MP arrested on treason charges: lawyer". The Citizen. Gauteng, South Africa. 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Zimbabwe opposition MP cleared of treason". bbc.com. 14 February 2020 – via GhanaWeb.
  9. ↑ "Zimbabwe opposition MP cleared of treason". BBC News. 14 February 2020. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "Zimbabwe: Job Sikhala, figure de l'opposition, est sorti de prison". Radio France Internationale (in French). 30 January 2024. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "Zimbabwe: Opposition figure sentenced to nine months In prison". AfricaNews. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Bennett (politician)</span> Zimbabwean politician (1957–2018)

Roy Leslie Bennett was a Zimbabwean politician and member of the British South Africa Police. He was also a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for the seat of Chimanimani, where he was affectionately known as Pachedu. He was the Treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change party led by Morgan Tsvangirai and a member of the Senate of Zimbabwe. He was set to become the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Zimbabwe until President Robert Mugabe refused to swear him in.

Wilson Khumbula, also known as Kujokochera, is a Zimbabwean politician and businessman. He is a former leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Ndonga (ZANU-Ndonga), and arguably dissolved the faction in 2015, 2018, and 2021 to join ZANU-PF. He was one of the early members of ZANU-Ndonga, which formed in 1963 under Ndabaningi Sithole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Zimbabwe</span>

There were widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights in Zimbabwe under the regime of Robert Mugabe and his party, ZANU-PF, between 1980 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tendai Biti</span> Zimbabwean politician

Tendai Laxton Biti is a Zimbabwean politician who served as Finance Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He is the second Vice President of Citizens Coalition for Change. He was the Secretary-General of the Movement for Democratic Change and the subsequent Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC-T) political parties and a Member of Parliament for Harare East until he was expelled from the party and recalled from parliament in mid-2014,before winning the seat again in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson Chamisa</span> Zimbabwean politician (born 1978)

Nelson Chamisa is a Zimbabwean politician and the former President of the Citizens Coalition For Change. He served as Member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Kuwadzana East, Harare. Chamisa was the MDC Alliance's candidate for president in the 2018 general election, having previously been the leader of the party's youth assembly. He was the Presidential candidate for the Citizens Coalition for Change in the 2023 Zimbabwean Presidential election. He has served as the former chairperson of national youth for the same party as well as the Secretary for Information and Publicity for the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In 2003, at the age of 25, Chamisa became the youngest Member of Parliament. Chamisa was also the youngest cabinet minister in Government of National Unity of Zimbabwe in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thokozani Khuphe</span> Zimbabwean politician and trade unionist

Thokozani Khupe is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and CCC party member. She was Deputy Prime Minister 2009–13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coltart</span> Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician

David Coltart is a Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change when it was established in 1999 and its founding secretary for legal affairs. He was the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in the House of Assembly from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to the Senate in 2008. He was the Minister for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture from February 2009 until August 2013. He is a top official of the Citizens Coalition for Change political party which was formed in 2022.

Zimbabwe began experiencing a period of considerable political and economic upheaval in 1999. Opposition to President Mugabe and the ZANU-PF government grew considerably after the mid-1990s in part due to worsening economic and human rights conditions. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was established in September 1999 as an opposition party founded by trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement for Democratic Change (1999–2005)</span> Zimbabwean political party

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was a Zimbabwean political party organised under the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai. The MDC was formed in 1999 as an opposition party to President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF). The MDC was made up of many civic groups who campaigned for the "No" vote in the 2000 constitutional referendum, which would limit a president's service to two terms, before the introduction of a prime minister, as well as giving legal immunities to the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Parliament of Zimbabwe</span> 2008–2013 meeting of Zimbabwean Senate and House of Assembly

The 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe was a meeting of the Zimbabwean Parliament, composed of the Senate and the House of Assembly. It met in Harare over five sessions from 25 August 2008 to 27 June 2013. Its membership was set by the disputed 2008 Zimbabwean general election, which resulted in a ZANU–PF majority in the Senate and Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai control of the House of Assembly. Political negotiations resulted in the 2009 Government of National Unity, a coalition government composed of ZANU–PF, the MDC–T, and the MDC–M.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai</span> Political party in Zimbabwe

The Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T) is a centre-left political party and was the main opposition party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe ahead of the 2018 elections. After the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005, the MDC–T remained the major opposition faction, while a smaller faction, the Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube, or MDC–N, was led by Welshman Ncube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube</span> Zimbabwean political party

The Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube (MDC–N) was a Zimbabwean political party led by politician and attorney Welshman Ncube. It was founded in 2005 when the Movement for Democratic Change split apart and in the 2008 general election, it was known as the Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara (MDC–M) in contrast to the larger Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T). The MDC–N and the MDC–T operated as separate opposition parties until their re-unification in 2018. The re-united party now operates under the original name, the MDC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Tsvangirai</span> Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, 2009 to 2013

Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was president of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T), and a key figure in the opposition to former president Robert Mugabe.

Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai was a prominent figure in Zimbabwean politics as a notable member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC-T) political party, and was the wife of Morgan Tsvangirai, former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. She has been described as being a mother figure for the country, providing strength behind the scenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Zimbabwean general election</span>

General elections were held in Zimbabwe on 31 July 2013. Incumbent President Robert Mugabe was re-elected, whilst his ZANU–PF party won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Zimbabwean general election</span>

General elections were held in Zimbabwe on 30 July 2018 to elect the President and members of both houses of Parliament. Held eight months after the 2017 coup d'état, the election was the first since independence in which former President Robert Mugabe was not a candidate.

The Movement for Democratic Change Alliance is an electoral coalition of seven political parties formed to contest Zimbabwe's 2018 general election. After the 2018 election, a dispute arose over the use of the name MDC Alliance leading the MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to found the Citizens Coalition for Change.

Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe is a Zimbabwean politician, former student leader and a member of the Citizens Coalition for Change. In the 2018 Zimbabwean general election she was the youngest Zimbabwean member of parliament, representing Harare West.

Rajeshkumar Indukant Modi is a Zimbabwean businessman and politician who is a member-elect of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Bulawayo South. He previously served as the MP for the constituency and as deputy minister of industry and commerce and from 2018 until 2023. He is a member of ZANU–PF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizens Coalition for Change</span> Political party in Zimbabwe

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is a Zimbabwean political party. It was established by former members of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.