Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will spend more time in jail after the High Court postponed their bail hearings to Monday 3 August, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has said.
In Ngarivhume’s case, the court gave the state more time to file their response to his bail application.
This was after the State told Justice Tawanda Chitapi that it will file its response by close of business on Friday.
In Chin’ono’s case, the hearing was postponed to Monday, meaning the duo will have spend an effective two weeks behind bars.
Commenting on the matter, United Kingdom based lawyer Alex Magaisa said, ” Bail appeals for Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume postponed to 3 August. By then the 2 political detainees will have spent 2 weeks in remand prison. In authoritarian regimes it doesn’t matter whether/not a state of emergency has been declared: accused’s rights are suspended.”
The two were arrested and charged with incitement to commit public violence in connection with their Twitter posts in which they encouraged people to take party in the planned anti-corruption demonstration set for tomorrow the 31st of July.
Meanwhile, police and the army have were Thursday, 30 July moving around chasing away people from the Central business district of Harare and Bulawayo in an attempt to thwart the planned demonstration.
Shops were forced to close down while people walking were around were harassed out of town.
However, organizers of the 31 July protest have vowed to proceed with their planned action despite a clampdown by the security forces.
