High Court Reserves Ruling On Chin’ono’s Bail Appeal




From left, former Zimbabwean finance minister Tendai Biti with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, 48, in the Harare Magistrates’ Court on 12 January 2020. Chin’ono has been jailed three times over the past six months. (Photo: Frank Chikowore)
Spread the love

HARARE – High Court judge Justice David Foroma on Thursday reserved judgement indefinitely on journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s bail appeal.

Chin’ono appealed after being denied bail by a Harare magistrate who ruled that he was likely to re-offend if granted bail.

Chin’ono was arrested and charged with peddling falsehoods after he allegedly tweeted that a police officer had fatally beaten up a little baby in Harare while enforcing lockdown regulations.

The lower court said it had found there is overwhelming evidence against him but Chin’ono contends that the magistrate erred in denying him bail.

Chin’ono has been arrested three times since the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect last year and all the arrests have to do with his posts on the microblogging platform.