The police have for the third time arrested journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and charged him with communicating falsehoods over his tweet in which he said an officer had beaten and killed a child while attempting to hit a kombi along Second Street in Harare.
Chin’ono announced his arrest on Twitter saying the police were taking him to Law and Order section at Harare Central Police Station.
“The police have come to arrest me! Let everyone know,” said Chin’ono.
“They say they are charging me with communicating falsehoods for tweeting that a child had been beaten up and died by a police officer! They are taking me to the Law and a order section at Harare Central Police Station,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Zengeza West legislator and MDC Alliance vice chairperson Job Sikhala exposed what he said was an alleged plan to arrest him over the same issue.
“I have received information that the Mnangagwa regime wants to arrest me today for the offence which I don’t know. They are alleging that I undermined the authority of the police by Twitting about the kid allegedly assaulted by them. I have alerted everyone,” said Sikhala.
Early this week, a video of a mob attacking a police officer made rounds on social media with claims that a child had died after being hit by a button stick.
The police and home affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe later refuted the claims saying the child had been examined by doctors who did not find any injuries.
