Chin’ono and Ngarivhume denied bail

ZTN Correspondent

Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s bail appeal hearings have been postponed to Monday, August 3. The two will spend the weekend being bars.

This comes after the record of proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court had not been transferred to the High Court as of yesterday. The High Court ordered that the record be sent to the High Court for the case to be argued today, July 30th 2020.

Prosecutors however say they had just received the court record from the Magistrates Court, and also argued that their lead prosecutor was tied up at the Supreme Court and was not available to attend the hearing of Chin’ono’s case.

Justice Chitapi however ordered the State to put its house in order and file the response by tomorrow for the case to be heard and that the application be heard and completed on Monday 3 August as its delays have caused a lot of publicity.

Chin’ono, who was arrested last week on allegations of inciting public violence, filed an appeal for bail at the High Court on Monday after being denied freedom by Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna.

Nduna remanded Chin’ono in custody to August 7 this year, citing that he was a danger to the public and would violate the law if released. Chin’ono is believed to be one of the people at the centre of plans by the opposition and some civic groups to hold street protests on July 31.

Chin’ono is said to have allegedly used social media to incite the public to engage in street protests on July 31, under the guise of fighting top-level corruption.