The MDC is vindicated by the upholding of The Exception filed by Lead Counsel Beatrice Mtetwa to the scandalous charge of Subverting a Constitutional Government preferred against Honourable Job Sikhala by the illegitimate government of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The consequences of the Ruling are that since Honourable Sikhala had pleaded not guilty to the charge he was entitled to a verdict and accordingly The Court so found

Put simply this was a charge that never was and in legal parlance you cannot find something from nothing and the words that formed the basis of the charge do not constitute an offence, notwithstanding whether they are admitted or not .

The persecution of Honourable Sikhala has thankfully come to an end but we lament the fact that countless citizens of Zimbabwe are facing baseless allegations in spite of the pretence that we are in a new dispensation.

The deception must be exposed for what it is and it is regrettable that the Prosecutor General s Office made a spirited attempt to defend the indefensible.

As the MDC, we now call upon the illegitimate regime to withdraw the numerous allegations of treason and Subverting a Constitutional Government which have been preferred against our leaders such as Secretary General Honourable Charlton Hwende and trade unionists Peter Mutasa and Obert Masaraure as well as numerous civil society and political leaders.

Unfortunately the regime has no shame and they will continue flogging a dead horse in the miraculous hope that it will be somehow resucitated.

The bottom line is that the persecution of the people and suppression of their rights must come to an end. The reason why the people will continue to protest is that their suffering is now unbearable and they can hardly make ends meet.

As The MDC we are very clear that the resolution of the crisis lies in engagement and genuine dialogue to return the country to legitimacy. Until the illegitimate regime wakes up to smell the coffee and comes to its senses, the country will remain in a mess.

Change is coming and no amount of repression and brutalization will deter us from leading the people to Canaan under the able leadership of the people s choice, Pastor Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

Innocent Gonese
MDC Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs