The convenor of anti-government 31 July protests, Jacob Ngarivhume of opposition Transform Zimbabwe and prominent journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono have been transferred to Chirubhi Maximum Prison.

The development happened after the duo had been denied bail on Friday. This was announced by lawyer Doug Coltart who posted on Twitter saying:

We received info that Hopewell & Jacob were going to be transferred to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison this evening. Jacob’s lawyer Moses Nkomo went to Remand Prison to verify. He was denied access to them; they were put in leg-irons & put in the truck to be taken to Chikurubi.

The two were arrested on 20 July for inciting public violence after rallying the citizenry to participate on the anti-corruption protests.

Authorities say they were not arrested for exposing corruption but rather for trying to dislodge a constitutionally established government.

Denying Chin’ono bail on Thursday, High Court judge Justice Chitapi said if there was a possibility of violence at the 31 July protests since the governing ZANU PF was going to resist any protest dubbed #ZanuPFMustGo.

The continued detention of the duo has already raised tensions between the government on one hand and the and the citizenry on the other and the latest development is likely to worsen the impasse

Source – Zimbos eXpress