Authorities in Zimbabwe have arrested a prominent journalist known for his reporting on the country’s endemic corruption in the latest in a series of abductions of government critics.
Hopewell Chin’ono was taken from his home in Harare on Monday by eight “state security agents” who broke windows to gain entry and did not produce any warrant, his lawyer said.
Chin’ono, a well-known and internationally respected reporter, recently published documents that raised concerns that powerful individuals in Zimbabwe were profiting from multimillion-dollar deals for essential supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Police said he would be charged with “incitement to participate in public violence”, an accusation that is thought to be linked to a forthcoming protest against corruption organised by activists and opposition politicians.
Chin’ono is being held at Harare central police station and was notified of the charges five hours after his arrest. He will appear in court on Tuesday.
An opposition politician who has been organising a high-profile anti-corruption protest was also detained. Jacob Ngarivhume, the leader of the small Transform Zimbabwe party, is also detained at Harare police station and has faces the same charges.
The arrests prompted a strong reaction from human rights campaigners and western powers.
The British embassy in Harare urged authorities to follow the rule of law and uphold media freedoms and freedom of speech.”
The US embassy said it was “deeply concerned” for the welfare of Chin’ono.
Amnesty international said the arrests were “designed to intimidate and send a chilling message to journalists, whistleblowers and activists who draw attention to matters of public interest in Zimbabwe.”
There have been a series of abductions of critics of the government in recent months in Zimbabwe, and dozens over the last two years.
Many detainees have been assaulted, humiliated or threatened by usually unidentified men. Several have been told not to criticise the government.
Several activists have received anonymous verbal warnings and death threats in recent weeks.
At about 11am on Monday, Chin’ono sent messages via social media to international media contacts including the Guardian saying police had raided his home.
Chin’ono’s twitter account, which is widely followed in Zimbabwe, appeared to have been deactivated on Tuesday. It is unclear how, or by whom.
It is unclear exactly which faction within the fragmented ruling Zanu-PF party, the government and the security agencies in Zimbabwe was responsible for the detention.
Job Sikhala, an opposition MP, told the Guardian he was in hiding after being warned security agencies were looking for him too.
Nick Mangwana, Zimbabwe’s secretary for information, said on Twitter earlier on Monday that “no profession [is] above the law”.
“Journalists are not above the law. Lawyers are not above the law. Doctors and nurses are not above the law. Politicians and bankers are not above the law. Anyone suspected to have committed a crime should be subjected to due process,” Mangwana said.
It is unclear if the tweet was connected to the detention of Chin’ono and Ngarivhume, or a reference to recent arrests for corruption in Zimbabwe.
The health minister, Obadiah Moyo, was charged last month in connection with the awarding of a $60m (£47m) contract to a company that allegedly sold Covid-19 supplies to the government at inflated prices.
Zimbabwe’s former tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira will appear in court next week accused of misappropriating of $95m (£75m) from the national pension fund. She has pleaded not guilty.
Zimbabwe’s government has been criticised for failing to deal with corruption at a time when the country is in desperate need of an international bailout package to save the economy from collapse.
The country is also facing a looming health crisis as it continues to record more Covid-19 cases, which stand at 1,611. Nurses are also on strike demanding better salaries, personal protective equipment and better working conditions.
Recently, widespread online campaigns by social media influencers and NGOs have called upon the president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to root out corruption, particularly in the public sector where it is endemic.
According to Transparency International Zimbabwe, corruption is costing the country $2bn annually.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chair, Loice Matanda-Moyo, has often expressed frustration over the government’s lack of resolve in tackling the problem.
ZACC has drawn public ire for the “catch and release” of public officials, in which corruption cases are never concluded.
