Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) authorities turned away visitors who had gone to see remanded award-winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono with Covid19 essentials such as sanitisers, a toothbrush and a bathing towel.
In an amateur video, a prison officer is heard telling Chin’ono’s visitors that they were not allowed to see the revered hard-hitting scribe, or deliver the basics they had brought for him.
Speaking in the vernacular Shona, Chin’ono’s visitors expressed that they were concerned that when he was arrested last Monday, he did not carry his toothbrush and the towel.
However, an apparently adamant prison officer said he was not going to allow them to either see him or leave the essentials.
Chin’ono was arrested last week, together with Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngayand they are both being charged with incitement of public violence.
While the decorated Harvard-trained journalist is set to appear in court on October 7, Ngarivhume was remanded in custody to the 14th of August.
Watch video footage below:
Zwnews