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Court Reporter

Political activist Hopewell Chin’ono yesterday approached the High Court to appeal the refusal of a magistrates’ court to grant him bail pending trial on charges of incitement to commit public violence.

Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna denied Chin’ono bail last week on the grounds that he was likely to continue posting statements on social media that have the effect of instigating public violence if freed on bail.

He was remanded in custody to August 7.

Chin’ono is being charged with incitement to commit public violence or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence.

Though Chino’no argued, through his lawyer, Ms Beatrice Mtetwa of Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, during the bail hearing at his initial remand, that there was no reference to violence in his tweets, Mr Nduna ruled that the interpretation of the activist’s tweets would be dealt with during trial and upheld the State fears that he was likely to re-offend once released on bail.

Charges against Chin’ono arose after he allegedly posted messages calling for mass demonstrations by any means against Government on July 31.