is real change ever going to come to his homeland? job sikhala, in a location that we have agreed not to reveal, welcome to hardtalk. thank you very much, steve, for your invitation to this important interview. well, it's important to have you on this show. you emerged from more than a year and a half of pre—trial detention in zimbabwe earlier this year.

we saw photographs of you last year, shackled, as you were given health care while still in detention. i just wonder what impact that experience has had on you physically and mentally. it really affected me to the most difficult depth. i have been maltreated as if i'm a terrorist. i was not given the basic standards that are granted to prisoners, in terms of both international law and in terms of domestic law. the way i was maltreated is that they never wanted me to get peace. and also they never wanted me to get on with my proper mental strength. so that's why they have been shackling me at every turn.

there is not any moment when i was visited at chikurubi maximum security prison when i was not shackled. however, i don't want to continuously lament on this because there are several other zimbabweans who have gone through worse treatment by the same regime that has been there since 1980, others who went as far as losing their lives, when they were in a democratic, in the democratic struggle, so... as you say... mr sikhala, as you just have said, there are opposition activists who have lost their lives in the recent past, including within the last year. i just wonder whether you were actually surprised when the court declared that you could be released, that you had already served enough time in prison and that your sentence was going to be suspended from now on, and therefore you were free to go? were you actually surprised?

i was not surprised on the basis that there was not any evidence that was produced in the court of law during the period of my trial for them to procure a conviction. even the conviction which they procured, where they later gave me a suspended sentence, was a fake conviction, which was not informed in terms of the law. and the issue of video evidence which they relied upon is a well—defined jurisprudence in terms of the law. so, basically, my conviction was not in terms of the law, the regime procured a fake conviction against me, which i still stand and still believe that i am innocent of the allegations which they were alleging against me. secondly, they realised that they could not keep me in prison on the basis that this issue was no longer sustainable, both in terms of domestic and international

clamour by people of goodwill who have noticed and realised that my persecution was purely political, it had nothing to do with the law and...not just that... right, we've agreed... we've agreed, mr sikhala, we've agreed with you not to reveal your current location, but can you just simply tell me this — are you inside zimbabwe or outside right now? i am currently receiving medical treatment after my incarceration in prison overseas, out of zimbabwe. and i am recovering very well. of course, there are medical issues that were discovered on me. my doctors are tending to them diligently and i'm happy that there is great progress in as far as my health is concerned. isn't the truth that you emerged from prison in late january of this year, having gone into detention

in 2022, you emerged to a much darker, more bleak political landscape from the point of view of your activism, as an opponent of the ruling zanu—pf party? after all, while you were in detention, president mnangagwa was re—elected. his power looks more entrenched than ever and your own opposition ccc party has basically collapsed. yeah, very true that when i came out of prison, ifound out that the regime has passed more repressive legislation in the form of the patriotic act, and also in the private voluntary organisation bill that they were introducing for them to curtail the operations of human rights organisations and other entities that were in pursuit of the public interest.

also, secondly, i came out when there was complete, total closure of the political space in our nation. our people are no longer able to breathe in as far as exercising their political rights in the nation is concerned. political space has been closed down. critics now have been abducted. some of them, you write them in the press and in other international reports. others lost their lives on the basis that... on the basis of their political beliefs... and on the question of president mnangagwa and his re—election, which, as i say, you were in detention during that election, what we saw were that international monitoring groups expressed serious concerns about that election, not least the southern african development community delegation, represented

and led by nevers mumba, a former zambian vice president. he said some aspects of this election fell short of the requirements of the constitution of zimbabwe, the electoral act and the sadc�*s principles and guidelines governing genuinely democratic elections. so there were serious concerns, but, frankly, in the months since then, mnangagwa has entrenched his power. the southern african nations have basically congratulated him and accepted the election result. and you must feel that, frankly, you lost in terms of a campaign to topple him. that is the reason why he kept me in prison without any crime that i have committed in the nation. the strategy by the regime was that i was supposed to be eliminated from the election, from the electoral processes that were going to take place in august 2023. so they found an excuse

of a matter where i was representing, as a legal practitioner, one of the persons who had been brutally murdered by the people, whom, in terms of our own investigations, as the lawyer of the family, is that these people had political motivations, and the motivation came from the people who are anti—democratic, people who do not accept the diversity in our country, and also people who do not accept people to belong to the political organisations of their own choice. so it was a strategy for them to eliminate me from the elections. they were not sure of my reaction in the event of a rigged political outcome, like what happened in august when i was not there. but my point... crosstalk my point, mr sikhala, is that... ..after mnangagwa has finished this business of entrenching his power... yeah. ..he started interfering with the running of the opposition ccc political party.

i found... when i went into prison, i left a functioning and running political party. but when i came out on the 30th ofjanuary 2024, ifound out a political party that is splintered into several factions and claimants to the authority of the organisation. so it was very disappointing that the political party that i suffered for in prison, when i came out, it was no longer in existence. now, if you wouldn't mind... if you wouldn't mind, mr sikhala, you need to keep your answers as brief as you can, because i need to ask you some questions. you've raised a very important point about the main opposition party, of which you were a seniorfigure, the citizens coalition for change. as you say, you emerged from prison to find the party in chaos. it had a new secretary—general, sengezo tshabangu, who basically said that a whole

host of your own party's mps who'd been elected in august were not legitimate. and he wanted by—elections to remove some of his own party members. and as a result of that, zanu—pf won a significant number of new seats which gave them a two—thirds majority in the zimbabwean lower house of parliament. and as a result of that, nelson chamisa, the former leader of the ccc, seems to have abandoned the party. you've described it as nothing more than a carcass. so can we take it that the ccc is now dead? as far as i'm concerned, like what i said when i came out of prison, i did not want to associate myself with either of the splinter groups in the ccc political party on the basis that you would not know the origins of the conflict that has led the organisation to split

into...four different political factions. i would not have followed any one of those factions on the basis that i was not aware of the reasons why the political party i left was now into disarray and also into different pieces like that. why, mr sikhala, please tell me simply why has the main zimbabwean opposition party collapsed in such spectacular fashion? should we blame nelson chamisa for creating a party that didn't really have a constitution and a proper national organisation? or should we blame zanu—pf? because mr chamisa claims this is all the result of infiltration from the ruling party? and he said that he wouldn't swim in a riverfull of hungry crocodiles. what is your explanation? despite the crocodiles�* failure to run the nation and also

bringing reforms that are required for the people of zimbabwe, he has expertise in terms of infiltrating and destroying opposition political organisations. it did not start yesterday with the ccc, but even during the period of before independence, his fingerprints are found all over the destabilisations that were happening in zapu. his agenda and objective was to obliterate and completely destroy zapu from the political face of zimbabwe. even during the period of the mdc, we know the role that he has played in terms of bringing confusion within the mdc political superstructure. not one leader... no, hang on, hang on. i'll be honest with you, mr sikhala, we don't have time to go through the whole history of opposition movements since 1980. we simply don't have time. but i would like you to address this question —

do you think the opposition movement right now is failing the people of zimbabwe, who face so many enormous economic problems and systemic political repression? the opposition political parties in zimbabwe is not... ..groupings. it is the mindset of the people of zimbabwe. what is in the mind of the people of zimbabwe is the opposition. they despise... they despise and loathe the current regime in an unprecedented manner. there is deep discontent within the masses of our people that cannot be washed away. the groupings are not the opposition. the opposition is the mindset and what is in the mind of an individual zimbabwean. the opposition within the mindset of the generality of our masses is that it is organised. it is not going

to make any retreat. as faras the... what zimbabweans... if i may say so, mr sikhala, what zimbabweans want, i think, is pretty straightforward and simple answers to straightforward and simple questions. this question is simple — are you and nelson chamisa going to work together to try and create a new political movement? steve, my brother steve, i don't think i want to be here to bother myself on talking about individuals. what i'm concerned more is about the hunger that is striking the nation of zimbabwe. i am concerned about the human rights abuses that are continuously being perpetrated against the defenceless people of zimbabwe. unemployment at the present moment in zimbabwe is 85%. the people who are living under extreme poverty, 49%. i will not be able and prepared to dwell on individuals.

i think if you have got any questions about nelson chamisa... but the point, surely... ..the best way you can get your answer during this programme... i absolutely take your point about the depth of the economic crisis facing zimbabweans today. and indeed, there are multiple reports of hunger spreading across parts of the nation, involving perhaps 2 million or more zimbabweans, as the drought in your country worsens the agricultural situation. i understand the depth of the crisis, but you, if i may say so, have come out with a very ambitious programme for the future. you talk about a nationwide consultation with the people from the grassroots up. you say that you're going to create a national convention with up to 5,000 delegates who will tell us where they want zimbabwe to go politically. my question to you is, how can you actually deliver any of that when you talk about the scale of political repression, we see the human rights watch and other human

rights groups reporting on repression at every level in zimbabwean society? how can you possibly deliver this new national movement? we will assert our rights. we will never retreat from asserting our rights as zimbabweans. we are entitled, in terms of both domestic and international law, for us to engage in legitimate and constitutional political activity. there is not any reason why we should be stopped for us to pursue a mass consultative process in zimbabwe, because what i observe when i come out of the prison is that there was a divorce between the leadership and also the masses of our country. the masses of our country were no longer the owners of the mass democratic struggle in our country. the masses became subordinate to the struggle in zimbabwe.

but my understanding is that every successful fight against a repressive regime and any tyrant and dictatorship in the history of mankind is that the masses with the courage of the destiny of their own country, so we are now engaging our masses... hang on. be realistic. we are now giving them back the power which we took away from them. but be realistic with me, mr sikhala. i am mindful that your nickname, for many zimbabweans, is wiwa, because you model yourself on the nigerian environmental and human rights activist ken saro—wiwa. but we know what happened to mr saro—wiwa. he was eventually executed by the military dictatorship in nigeria back in 1995. as you've pointed out the repressive human rights record — the fact that opposition activists disappear, some of them have been killed — if you go back to zimbabwe — because you're not there right now — isn't the reality that if you continue with the language you're using with me, you may well

disappear yourself? the struggle for the freedom of the masses of our people is not one we can relent upon. we are... like what i have been saying several times, i am prepared to die for the causes that i believe in. i know the kind of the regime that i'm dealing with and also the way how they persecuted me when i was in prison, not only once. don't forget that i have been arrested 68 times on different allegations, being persecuted by the same regime. but i cannot relent at this hour because the people of our nation want theirfreedom. they want themselves to be able to exercise their democratic right to choose the leaders of their controls. there is no way we can be afraid of death when death has

visited so many people in the history of the struggle of the people of zimbabwe. i think you know... when so many... hang on. when so many of your people, as you have rightly pointed out, are living in the most desperate economic circumstances, they don't have jobs, we see thousands and thousands of them still trying to flee zimbabwe to get to south africa and other countries, when they are in that position, how do you feel about neighbouring leaders — like president ramaphosa in south africa — actually congratulating mnangagwa on his election victory? and how do you feel when you see the americans and the europeans impose targeted sanctions, which don't really appear to be having much effect, on zimbabwe? and you see china and russia deepening their very warm economic and political relationships with the mnangagwa government? how do you feel about that

international response? the issues that you asked me about the south african president, cyril ramaphosa, coming to congratulate emmerson mnangagwa on the rigged electoral outcome, the truth of the matter is that we have been able to start the history of our own mass democratic struggle since 1999, and we have noticed and identified the role which the anc and also consecutive anc governments in south africa have played to undermine the mass democratic struggle in our country. don't forget that these are the same people who forced the global political agreement on the people of zimbabwe when robert mugabe and zanu—pf were defeated in an election. so, to be clear, are you saying... the anc�*s goal is always to undermine the people of zimbabwe.

i need to be very clear with you because we're almost out of time. are you saying that, even now, you believe the anc government is undermining you and the zimbabwean opposition? fikile mbalula, the secretary general of the anc, he has been spewing a lot of controversial statements against our people and also against the opposition forces in our country. so there is no doubt that it is the anc policy for them to undermine the democratic forces in the country of zimbabwe. since the period of president thabo mbeki, we have seen what they have done in our country. we have seen how they have undermined the will of the people. so, the truth of the matter is that it is the anc�*s policy for them to undermine the people of zimbabwe in the pursuit of their own freedom. well, that's quite a charge and it's a charge that, at some point, we may well be able to put to officials in the south african government. they're not here to respond to that. before we end, though, i come back to this notion

that, as you emerged from detention, and now you're trying to lead a new movement in zimbabwe, you are facing impossible odds. let'sjust think about one more thing. because of what happened in a bunch of by—elections recently, the ruling party, zanu—pf, now controls a two—thirds majority in the lower house. they can, at least in theory, try to push through a change in the constitution to allow president mnangagwa to run for a third term. if that happens, what happens to zimbabwe and to the people that you are trying to represent? that is why we are engaging in the process of consulting the people of zimbabwe for them to own the mass democratic struggle in our country. what we will do is that we will go back to our people and consult them on the form of reaction and action we should take. and they will give us the way forward on how to respond. if the third term agenda is tabled in zimbabwe,

we'll go back to the people, we will consult them. we will ask them to give us the way forward, the way forward which they will carry themselves out for them to make sure what they want is going to be done. but in a word, the struggle goes on? the struggle goes on, unabated. job sikhala, we have to end there. i thank you forjoining me on hardtalk. thank you very much, stephen sackur, for this great interview. hello there.

tuesday unfortunately brought more stormy weather with it and coastal flooding with the high tides, as well as inland flooding. a brief ridge of high pressure is pushing that low pressure out the way, but the weather fronts are hot off the heels again off the atlantic with more rain to come through the day ahead. this is what we had on tuesday, 60 millimetres and more across beddgelert in north wales. many of the other wettest places seeing 30—110 millimetres of rain. and despite the showers having ease, the rain and the winds through the night and it turns chilly with a touch of frost, potentially a few areas first thing and some mist and fog in the south. already, temperatures are rising in the west ahead of the next band of rain that you may have seen there. so wet through the morning rush across northern ireland, underneath this weather front. and as it comes in, it's introducing milder atlantic air. so it will turn misty and foggy over the hills as well as the fog first thing further east. once it sets in across scotland on and off through the day, early brightness and sunshine in the east replaced by that rain as it meanders its way

eastwards through the day. you can see it does ease off a little bit in southern parts, but it's got a legacy of cloud left in its wake. so a mild day, where we see any breaks — perhaps 16 in northern ireland. but there's a met office warning for the west of scotland. again, another a0 millimetres, possibly more over the hills. further south, there'll be a steady spell of rain and lots of misty, murky weather over the hills. another pulse comes in through the evening overnight, particularly scotland and northern ireland. it tends to weaken as it pushes southwards, but all the cloud and the wind and the winds will be strong again today, perhaps not as strong as yesterday, but they hold the temperatures up through the night. and a fairly brisk wind will continue with us on thursday. maybe some mist murk first thing, particularly in the south under the remnants of this weather front. but actually, once that clears out the way, we might see some brighter skies and sunshine coming through before the next pulse of rain starts to materialise across western parts again. but look at the temperatures on thursday. it's looking mild, in fact, warm in the strengthening april sunshine. and that milder, warmer atlantic air is with us through thursday and indeed

friday to end the week, perhaps even start the weekend, but not for long because we get some colder air starting to dig in behind it. and you can see for the weekend or by the end of the weekend, it's a return to slightly cooler weather for most.

live from london, this is bbc news. in a significant shift in tone, president biden believes israel is making a mistake in his approach to the war against hamas in gaza. staying in the us, japan's prime minister fumio kishida is in washington this week amid rising security concerns towards china. south koreans head to the polls in what is being widely seen as a test of president yoon suk yeol�*s administration. and a report finds that children in the uk were let down by weak evidence and a lack of research on medical interventions in gender care.

hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. we start with the middle east, us presidentjoe biden says he thinks the israeli prime minster, benjamin netanyahu, is making a mistake in his approach to the war against hamas in gaza. mr biden also urged israel to agree to a ceasefire for six to eight weeks. he made these comments whilst speaking to univision, which is a us spanish—language tv network. let's have a listen. i think what he is doing is a mistake. i don't agree with that. i think it is outrageous that. i think it is outrageous that those three vehicles were hit by drones. and taken out on a highway, wasn't like it was on the shore or a convoy etc. what i am calling for the