Police in Zimbabwe have arrested July 31st public protest organizer, Jacob Ngarivhume, and independent journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, who has been writing articles about corruption in the country.
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Paul Nyathi, told VOA Studio 7 he was not aware of the arrest Ngarivhume and Chin'ono.
Ngarivhume posted a message on twitter a few hours before he was arrested saying, “When I proposed a national demonstration I knew the risks. But it is sickening for the state to pretend to care about COVID 19 lives yet send me messages threatening to kill me and my family.”
Chin’ono posted a video on his twitter feed claiming that he was being arrested. He posted a message before shooting the video, which read, “They are breaking into my home. Alert the world!”
A few hours later, his lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, visited Chin’ono’s Chisipite home where she claimed that he was picked up by suspected state security agents, who allegedly broke into his home.
In a tweet, Information Secretary, Nick Mangwana, said journalists are supposed to follow the country’s laws.
“There is no profession which is above the law. Journalists are not above the law. Lawyers are not above the law. Doctors and nurses are not above the law. Politicians & bankers are not above the law. Anyone suspected to have commited a crime should be subjected to due process.”
The USA Harare Embassy says it is worried about the arrest of the two men.
More details to follow …