Former Minister of information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo says Zimbabwean authorities abducted journalist cum activist Hopewell Chin’ono yesterday after they forcibly gained entry into his home.
In a live interview with a local publication, Prof Moyo said the fact that they broke into his house does not constitute an arrest.
“From what many of us saw it can’t be correct that in both cases these were arrests. In Hopewell’s case, it was clearly an abduction in broad daylight. They broke into his place, the evidence is there for itself. The charge or allegations that they have put up, frankly shocking, they are alleging that by engaging in debate, disseminating information about what citizens intend to do peacefully in accordance with sections 58,59 and 61 of our constitution to demonstrate and protest and petition Government and these are provisions of the 2013 constitution.” said Prof Moyo
The arrest of Chin’ono, Moyo said, exposes the Mnangagwa government contrary to what they promised.
“This is preposterous by any measure and it exposes this particular Government because when they came into office through a military coup in 2017, they promised a new dispensation and declared themselves to be a second republic different from the first republic as they defined it but it turns out that in fact what they are doing is consistent with what you can expect from a government that use instruments of force or military force to come into power,” he said
Prof Moyo said it was shocking but not surprising that Chin’ono was arrested because it was executed by people with a history of violence.
“This is very shocking but not a surprising development because basically it is being done by people who only have known one thing throughout their political careers and that is violence,” said Prof Moyo
Chin’ono was arrested yesterday on allegations of inciting members of the public to participate in acts of violence.
