The arrest of prominent Zimbabwean opposition figure Job Sikhala, 53, and Alexander Thema, 78, in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 7, has sparked conflicting narratives between Zimbabwe’s ruling party and opposition groups. South African police stopped their silver Ford Fiesta on the N14 highway near Pretoria following a tip-off and discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors inside the vehicle.

Farai Marapira, spokesperson for Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party, dismissed allegations that the party orchestrated Sikhala’s arrest. He described the claims as typical attempts by opposition figures to “sensationalise” criminal cases with political motives to “clean themselves up,” asserting that “the law will always deal with people that transgress against it.”

However, rights groups and opposition figures have described the incident as a politically motivated setup targeting Sikhala due to his vocal criticism of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Sikhala’s South African lawyer, Eric Mabuza, stated that his client denies any knowledge of the explosives, telling state broadcaster SABC that Sikhala believes it to be “foul play because when he went out with his uncle for dinner he was not carrying any explosives, but those were found as he was driving out.”

The National Democratic Working Group (NDWG), a Zimbabwean pressure group led by Sikhala, also expressed suspicion of foul play, categorically maintaining that the explosives did not belong to him. NDWG spokesperson Silenkosi Moyo described the incident as an “international sting operation” targeting the opposition leader. Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the Transform Zimbabwe party, shared an account from Sikhala’s wife alleging that someone at a meeting had taken Sikhala’s car keys, returned them after about 30 minutes, and then suggested they leave, only for police to intercept them shortly thereafter.

Sikhala, a former Member of Parliament, has a long history of confronting the Zimbabwean government, having spent 595 days in pre-trial detention in Zimbabwe before his release in January 2024 with a suspended sentence on incitement charges. This arrest adds to a record of more than 65 arrests over two decades. His legal team noted that Sikhala had been traveling to South Africa regularly for medical treatment following his lengthy detention in Zimbabwe.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed it is reviewing CCTV footage from a shopping mall Sikhala visited before his arrest. While the intended use of the explosives has not been established by authorities, police sources indicate that such materials are commonly linked to illegal mining activities and ATM bombings in the Gauteng and Free State provinces.

Sikhala appeared in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, with a formal bail hearing scheduled for Wednesday, where prosecutors are expected to outline their case. This incident has drawn attention to cross-border security cooperation between South Africa and Zimbabwe, following earlier cases this year where three Zimbabwean truck drivers received 15-year sentences in South African courts for smuggling explosives through the Beitbridge border post. Reuters was unable to obtain additional comment from South African authorities or the Zimbabwean government immediately.