Own Correspondent
Hopewell Chinono The Harare Magistrates Court on Thursday adjourned to Friday the bail hearing for Hopewell Chin’ono, as courts are closing early due to the Covid-19 curfew that the government imposed.
A freelance journalist, Chin’ono was arrested together with Jacob Ngarivhume of Transform Zimbabwe, accused of fronting plans to hold anti-government protests on July 31.
In adjourning the bail hearing, magistrate Ngoni Nduna said, “Court staff need to get home before the curfew starts at 6 PM”.
This was after examination and cross-examination of state witnesses had taken most of the bail hearing.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday set stricter Covid-19 lockdown rules and imposed a 12-hour dusk to dawn curfew which began on Wednesday.
Ngarivhume has been widely quoted in the media in recent weeks threatening the protests on July 31 would go ahead with or without government permission while the state alleges Chin’ono, a prominent social media user, has also been allegedly linked to the same protests.
Earlier on Ngarivhume was denied bail in a separate courtroom after the State proved that if admitted to bail, he would proceed to lead the planned demonstrations.