Tanzania opposition leader Freeman Mbowe released on bail
Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Chin’ono to spend weekend in jail after tweet
7:00 CAT | 17 Jan 2021
Picture. eNCA
- MDC Alliance Vice-Chairperson, Job Sikhala, party spokesperson, Fadzai Mahere, and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono were arrested early this week.
Zimbabwe police have re-arrested award-winning journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono, as well as one of his defenders, for allegedly posting false information on social media, prosecutors and lawyers said.
Chin’ono was detained in July last year ahead of banned anti-graft and anti-government protests he backed through his Twitter account.
He was charged with inciting public violence and released on bail one month later.
The journalist was behind bars again in November for allegedly obstructing justice after tweeting about a gold smuggling case involving political elites.
Another tweet landed Chin’ono back in jail on Friday, this time for sharing a video he claims shows a police officer beating a baby to death in the capital Harare.
“The accused published a false statement to members of the public,” said the request for remand form, adding that he had deliberately intended to “undermine the public confidence” in police officers.
Chin’ono made a brief court appearance on Saturday for his bail hearing, which was postponed to Monday.
One of his lawyers, Job Sikhala, was later arrested on his way out of court for sharing the same video.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group confirmed the arrest and said Sikhala had been charged with the same offence.
His bail hearing is also scheduled for Monday.
They say they are charging me with communicating falsehoods for tweeting that a child had been beaten up and died by a police officer! They are taking me to the Law and a order section at Harare Central Police Station.
— Hopewell Chin’ono #TheGoatWantsItsCameraBack (@daddyhope) January 8, 2021
Chin’ono is openly critical of the Harare administration and regularly posts commentary on social media about social and economic hardship in the southern African country.
The acclaimed documentary producer was first detained shortly after he helped uncover a multi-million dollar corruption scandal involving coronavirus gear.
The expose led to the sacking of Zimbabwe’s health minister Obadiah Moyo and implicated the president’s son.
Nurses at Zimbabwe’s biggest hospital said they are given the wrong mask for use, and they only get 1 mask for a 12 hour shift.
Money meant to buy Covid-19 PPE was looted using a criminal entity called Drax International.
A nursing matron at Harare Hospital died from Covid-19. pic.twitter.com/nCjCe1G9Gg
— Hopewell Chin’ono #TheGoatWantsItsCameraBack (@daddyhope) January 7, 2021
Source: AFP / eNCA
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