Prison Officers Deny Chin'ono, Ngarivhume Warm Food From Outside Despite Court Order

Prison officers at Chikurubi Maximum Prison denied detained journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume warm food from outside saying they should buy online from reputable sources.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) announced the development adding that lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and ZLHR director Roselyn Hanzi visited and interacted with the two in prison on Saturday. Reads the ZLHR’s statement:

Beatrice Mtetwa and Rose Hanzi were finally allowed access to Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume in private. This private consultation was after lawyers insisted on compliance with the court order and the ZPCS officers consulted their superiors.

Although social visits were allowed, Chin’ono and Ngarivhume were denied access to warm food. Lawyers were advised that the administrative measures did not allow the two to access food that is not purchased online from ‘reputable sources’.”

This was in violation of a Friday judgment by High Court Justice Jester Charewa which said the duo should receive warm food from their relatives or lawyers according to the Prisons Act.

The judgment was issued after the two last week approached the High Court seeking an order for Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officers to allow them to meet their lawyers in private, have social visits, access to warm clothing and food.

The duo was arrested on 20 July for inciting public violence after they encouraged the citizenry to participate in anti-government protests and has since then been relying on water and biscuits as prison officers barred them from having warm food from outside the prison “for administrative reasons.”

More: New Zimbabwe