Sikhala Requests Court to Allow Journalists to Livestream His Trial on Charges of Obstructing Course of JusticeOpposition Zengeza West legislator, Job Sikhala, today requested that his trial on charges of obstruction of justice be livestreamed, arguing it was in the public interest. The trial of Sikhala, a senior member of the Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change, was expected to kick off today and the state is strongly opposed to livestreaming the court case. The state claims that the livestream may incite political violence in a nation preparing for crucial harmonized elections sometime this year. His attorney, Jeremiah Bamu, told the court that journalists should be allowed to livestream the court case on all platforms as Sikhala is a public figure. Bamu said some relatives and colleagues of the lawmaker live outside Zimbabwe and others, who cannot go to court, want to know what’s taking place as the case has been dragging for almost seven months with him being denied bail a dozen times. Bamu further noted that the court handling Sikhala’s case is too small to accommodate thousands of people, who want to attend the trial. Public prosecutor, George Manokore, said the state is strongly opposed to Sikhala’s request. Indications are that the state fears that livestreaming the court cases will cause unrest in the southern African nation. CCC spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, said they are concerned that Sikhala has been locked up in remand prison for nearly seven months. Sikhala is representing relatives of Moreblessing Ali, who was butchered by suspected Zanu PF activists and her body dumped in a shallow well in Nyatsime, Beatrice. Ali’s family said her remains won’t be buried until the perpetrators of the heinous crime are arrested. A Zimbabwean was arrested a few weeks after Ali was killed but nothing has been heard from the state since his arrest. Meanwhile. Ali’s body is still at Chitungwiza General Hospital mortuary, almost a year after she was killed.