Top journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and 31 July protest coordinator Jacob Ngarivhume will spend their third night in detention after the Harare Magistrates Court postponed ruling on their bail application to Thursday.
The two, who were separately arrested on Monday on charges of incitement to commit public violence, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court today.
They appeared in different courts and had their matters heard separately, their lawyers led by Beatrice Mtetwa have confirmed.
Chin’ono whose lawyer Mtetwa complained that her client had been abused while in custody will have his bail application dealt with tomorrow while a verdict on Ngarivhume’s freedom bid will be handed down tomorrow.
MDC Alliance vice President Tendai Biti who was also in court in solidarity with the arrested government critics said Chin’ono’s bail hearing could not be completed due to curfew rules which stipulates that all businesses close at 3pm.
As we feared both Jacob and Hope will spend a further night in prison after they were both respectively remanded overnight in custody. In Hope’s case, court adjourned due to Mnangagwa’s curfew rules. In Jacob’s case the court said it will now hand down its ruling tomorrow,” said Biti.
Ngarivhume’s lawyer Moses Nkomo confirmed that the court will make a ruling on his client’s bail application at 1115hrs tomorrow.
More to follow…
