BY STAFF REPORTERS Media mogul, and Alpha Media Holdings chairperson Trevor Ncube has expressed concern over the arrest of freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, MDC Alliance leaders Fadzai Mahere (party spokesperson) and Job Sikhala (vice chairperson) describing their incarceration as an attack on freedom of expression by the State.
My statement on the arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Hopewell Chin’ono and Job Sikhala 👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/9H4fNhc3mX
— Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) January 14, 2021
In a statement today, Ncube said urgent attention needs to be given to cases of police brutality which are increasingly reported daily.
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“That the three have been charged under a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 makes the violation of their rights to free speech even more pernicious. The words of Chief Justice Malaba are worth repeating: “Government is prohibited from appointing itself as a monitor of truth for the people.” Muzzling those who call for state accountability is a cynical abuse of power,” Ncube said.
Meanwhile, the European Union and Danish Embassy in Zimbabwe have also condemned the Chin’ono’s arrest saying it is affront to democratic tenets and a manifest of selective application of the law in the country.
On 9 December 2020 at the World Press Freedom Conference @MinisterSBMoyo endorsed The Hague Commitment to Increase the Safety of Journalists in #Zimbabwe.
The arrest of Hopewell Chin’ono on yet more charges does not reflect the spirit of the document. pic.twitter.com/73DOcUv3k0
— Dutch Embassy Harare 🇳🇱 (@NLinZimbabwe) January 14, 2021
“The circumstances around the re-arrest of @daddyhope raise many questions about fairness, equitable application of rule of law and proportionality. We hope that he stays safe,” the EU said in their official Twitter account.
The circumstances around the rearrest of @daddyhope raise many questions about fairness, equitable application of rule of law and proportionality. We hope that he stays safe. pic.twitter.com/qq46jEn7Xp
— EU Delegation to Zimbabwe 🇪🇺 (@euinzim) January 9, 2021
Chin’ono, an acclaimed investigative reporter, was arrested five days ago on allegations that he breached Section 31 (a) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, by posting a Tweet that falsely reported the death of a child after a physical assault by the police.
The arrest came at a time when the journalist is on bail for two different charges, one of which is incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry or alternatively incitement to commit public violence.