HARARE – Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator, Job Sikhala has been fined US$600 after his Wednesday conviction for defeating the course of justice.

Presiding magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa ordered the opposition politician to pay the fine or serve 6 months imprisonment if he is in default.

Sikhala was also given another six months wholly suspended on condition of good behaviour.

The politician’s charges stem from his publication of a video demanding justice over slain CCC activist, Moreblessing Ali in Nyatsime Chitungwiza.

Police alleged the lawmaker disturbed investigations into Ali’s murder.

Sikhala was lawyer for Ali’s family.

Gofa, in assessing sentence, took into account that the politician is a “family man with children whose interests should be prioritised”.

She said the Harare lawyer has already spent 11 months in custody which in itself amounts to mitigation on his part.

The magistrate also considered Sikhala, in his many months behind bars, had lost clientele and has to start afresh in finding new ones when he is out of prison.

She said that was also another form of punishment he has endured.

“The investigations were not completely disturbed; the culprit (Ali’s murderer) was later arrested but you tampered with the course of justice and this should be stopped in future even to would-be offenders,” Gofa further said in her ruling.

“In casu, accused has been in custody for 11 months and sending you to prison will be too harsh.

“So, the sentence should be of restoration so that when you go back to the society, you will reform.”

Before sentencing, Sikhala gave his personal circumstances in mitigation, insisting that he never breached the law in the 50 years since birth.

“My life has been without blame. I lived within the strict confines of the law and I believe in a saying that where there is law, there is a remedy.

“I have never taken the law into my own hands and I do not wish to see the law being turned into an oppressive tool,” he said.

His lawyer Jeremiah Bamu also implored court to consider Sikhala’s long pre-trial incarceration in handing down sentence.

“He has already served penalty in this case,” Bamu said, adding that if court was to include a year of remission, it would mean Sikhala has already spent a year and a quarter in custody.

“He has 11 children in various stages of their academic life; some in High School, some universities and some in primary school.

“Accused is a lawyer; he has not been able to hunt during the past 10 months he has been locked up.

“He has to start from zero, look for new clientele; that is a punishment on its own.

“The accused must not be punished to a point of being broken.

“If court is to give him a custodial sentence, this punishment will break him.”

Appearing for the state, Oscar Madhume, in aggravation, said the court should take into account the seriousness of the offence and the interests of society in assessing Sikhala’s sentence.

He said there should also be balance with the interests of the accused.