By Investigations Desk | ZimEye
In the face of mounting evidence that he has falsified claims about being police-cleared by the British Embassy, controversial journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has responded—not with the expected apology to UK authorities—but with a sprawling 22-paragraph Facebook post, saturated with emotional appeals and large piles of at least eight invocations of the word “hatred.”
He was investigated by many professionals including his former employer, Geoff Nyarota following suspicious alleged “materialistic” behaviour and also multiple incidents of accusing news sources of tension with the army, therefore endangering them.
Rather than take responsibility for his 14-year-long falsehood he has used the journalism profession to claim that his multiple names were once police cleared by the embassy, Chin’ono has attempted to deflect calls for accountability by painting himself as a victim of jealousy and tribal resentment. He frames the urgent demand—simply to amend his record with the British authorities—as a “hate campaign” by fellow Zimbabweans.
But critics say this is a textbook case of gaslighting, especially given the glaring contradiction at the heart of his story: a 2011 political letter he has cited as a “statement from the British Government” has no mention whatsoever of police clearance, or a declaration that he is “not a fugitive from justice.”
UK based academic, Wilbert Mukori commented saying, Chin’ono’s claim of financing his first home purchase from a £50,000 British sportscar loan, not at all the CABS Zimbabwe bank mortgage he has before announced, is further evidence that Chin’ono has a case to answer.
“No one would get such a loan (the equivalent of £130,000 present value) in 1996, let alone a 25 year old immigrant from Zimbabwe,” said Mukori.
Official Denials from the British Embassy
The UK Embassy has publicly and repeatedly clarified that it does not issue police clearance certificates. A pinned 2017 statement from the Consular Section at the British Embassy in Harare explicitly reads:
“The Consular Section at the Harare Embassy cannot issue UK police clearance certificates.”
Furthermore, there is no known record of any embassy document stating that “Hopewell Chin’ono is not a fugitive from justice in Britain”, despite Chin’ono’s repeated claims—verbatim—across podcasts and social media.
Compromising UK Airport Security
Beyond the lies, there are now serious national security implications. Sources at two British airports confirmed that Chin’ono’s persistent use of this fabricated clearance claim—cited during heightened scrutiny in 2024—compromised airport security procedures. In at least two known incidents, individuals referenced his case when contesting immigration and customs protocols, believing falsely that the British Embassy clears individuals like Chin’ono on a political basis.
Three Names, Three IDs – Still No Clarity
Also under scrutiny is Chin’ono’s use of three distinct identities:
• Hopewell Chin’ono
• Hopewell Mukusha
• Hopewell M. Chingono
Photos of documents including Zimbabwean passports, BBC ID cards, and notarised affidavits have confirmed these multiple aliases. Despite claiming his name change was legal, Chin’ono has never provided a timeline or justification for using multiple identities simultaneously—something that has caused chaos at border control and continues to raise red flags internationally.
The Weaponisation of Victimhood
Instead of addressing these grave concerns, Chin’ono’s Facebook post resorts to weaponising victimhood. Rather than clarifying his identity records, or apologising for bringing the British Embassy into disrepute, he refers to those asking for the truth as:
“hateful, jealous, vindictive… evil people”
This narrative conveniently ignores the core concern: the false attribution of a UK government statement—used to silence critics, gain credibility, and possibly influence immigration processes.
Time to Apologise or Face Scrutiny
At the heart of this saga is a very simple expectation: that Hopewell Chin’ono should apologise to the British Government for falsely claiming that they cleared his criminal record and publicly declared him innocent of fraud.
The longer he delays this, the deeper the damage—not only to his reputation, but to public trust in journalism and to international institutions whose names he continues to exploit.
His silence on how his actions have impacted UK airport security in 2024 with at least two incidents at Heathrow (29 April 2024) and Gatwick (26 Aug 2024) speaks volumes.
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