BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
INCARCERATED journalist Hopewell Chin’ono yesterday had his bail appeal ruling deferred to next Wednesday by High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi.
Chin’ono, who faces charges of inciting public violence ahead of the foiled July 31 protests, has been languishing in remand prison since his arrest on July 20 after his three previous bail applications were dismissed by both the High Court and magistrates’ court.
Through his lawyer, Taona Nyamakura, Chin’ono argued at the High Court that magistrate Ngoni Nduna erred in failing to note changed circumstances surrounding his case since July 31 had passed without any cases of violence.
But prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi insisted that Chin’ono would incite public violence since, according to his tweets, he was determined to remove the Zanu PF government from power. Justice Chitapi rolled over the matter to September 2 to enable him to go through submissions by both parties before he making his judgment.
In another appeal involving opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume, who is facing similar charges of inciting public violence, Justice Siyabona Musithu said he would make a ruling on Monday next week.
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Earlier, State prosecutor Michael Reza had told the court that: “If Jacob Ngarivhume is freed on bail and finds out that President Mnangagwa is still the President of this country, there will be hell.”