Foiled July 31 protests frontman Ngarivhume, journalist Chin’ono remand prison woes mount

The duo of incarcerated Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and award winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will know their fate on the same day after High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi reserved to August 6, judgement in separate criminal cases in which they are both accused of inciting public violence.

Ngarivhume, who is widely viewed as the convenor of the foiled July 31 protests, has been appealing against the decision by the magistrates court to deny him bail following his arrest a fortnight ago.

Justice Chitapi also said he will, on August 6, hand down judgement on Chin’ono, who is also being charged with inciting citizens to engage in public violence against the adminstration of Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

This is also the first time that the High Court has heard the duo’s cases after they were arrested on the same day, exactly two weeks ago.

Their arrests and subsequent detentions attracted wide international condemnation as the Harare adminstration continues with its clampdown on various opposition figures and activists amid worsening economic decay.

Last Friday, the Mnangagwa adminstration foiled the planned street protests after a massive deployment of state security personal across all urban centres in the country.

Zwnews