Award-winning Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been arrested again, now being charged with communicating falsehoods that a Harare based Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer reportedly killed a baby while attempting to beat the child’s mother with a button stick.
The prominent investigative journalist confirmed on his Twitter handle Friday afternoon that he was being taken to Harare Central Police Station. “The police have come to arrest me! Let everyone know!
“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 order section at Harare Central Police Station,” Chin’ono wrote on his Twitter handle.
MDC Alliance Vice Chairman Job Sikhala also tweeted Friday afternoon that police wanted to arrest him over the same charges.
“Alert Zimbabwe : 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 Tweeting about the kid allegedly assaulted by them. I have alerted everyone.
“I am gathering that after my arrest they want to expose me to Covid 19. If anything happens to me let it be known to Zimbabweans that I am Covid free as I speak. Few days ago I warned about the plot by the regime & they really want to arrest me for no apparent reason. Oppression,” Sikhala tweeted.
Chin’ono who recently exposed alleged corruption involving President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia and son Collins, in the Covidgate scandal was initially arrested on 20 July last year after being charged with inciting violence in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.
He was arrested together with opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume. They spent 45 days at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison before being released on bail by the High Court in Harare.
He was arrested again after tweeting that a State prosecutor in the case of a gold smuggler, Henrietta Rushwaya who was arrested after being caught trying to smuggle 6.09kgs of gold to Dubai would consent to bail.
The United States Embassy in Harare said it was concerned with Chino’no’s welfare.
“We have learned @PoliceZimbabwe officials re-arrested Hopewell Chin’ono at his home this afternoon and are concerned for his welfare. #ProtectJournalists #daddyhope.”
