By Viviane Faver
Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested this week by Zimbabwean officials. In his latest job, he helped unravel a network of corruption that led to the resignation of a government Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, for allegedly profiting from coronavirus’s essential supplies that overcharges cost the government $60 million.
Minister Moyo was freed on bail and scheduled to appear in court this Friday, July 31. The anti-graft commission concluded that he illegally awarded the contract to a company based in the United Arab Emirates to provide personal protective equipment and COVID-19 test kits.
The journalist, Chin’ono, was also charged and arrested last week with opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume for encouraging citizens to “participate in public violence” during protests. Both denied the government’s accusations.
In a video shared on Twitter, Chin’ono’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, said the police entered Chin’ono’s apartment by breaking a patio door and kidnapping her client without a warrant.
According to Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Zimbabwean government uses state security forces to silence and intimidate its critics.
“The Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume prisons designed to intimidate and send a scary message to journalists, whistleblowers, and activists who call attention to matters of public interest in Zimbabwe,” said Deprose Muchena, director of Amnesty for East and Southern Africa in a statement.
Due to the economic crisis in recent months, there has been an increase in government critics’ repression and kidnapping. Many detainees were beaten, humiliated, or threatened, and several were instructed not to criticize the government.
