South African court grants Job Sikhala R10,000 bail 

Zimbabwean opposition leader Job Sikhala and his co-accused, Alexander Thema, have been granted R10,000 bail each by the Pretoria Magistrates Court. The case has been postponed to 3 February 2026. Sikhala and Thema, who is also his uncle, Thema, were arrested last week on charges of possessing explosives. Both men have denied the allegations, insisting they were innocent. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, police intercepted the pair on Kgosi Mampuru Street in Pretoria on 6 November after receiving a tip-off about a suspicious vehicle. A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors. Sikhala has described the arrest as a political set-up, claiming his detention is politically motivated. Related Topics