Beatrice Mtetwa, the lawyer of detained prominent Zimbabwean journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono have told members of the media that her client was stopped from wearing his goggles amid concerns they could be for surveillance purposes.
Chin’ono was using the goggles as personal protective equipment to prevent contracting the coronavirus. This was revealed by another journalist Philimon Bulawayo who posted on Twitter saying:
Lawyers for detained journalist Chin’ono told the media that prison officials stopped her client from wearing his #COVID-19 protective goggles urging that they could be fitted with surveillance cameras which is a SECURITY THREAT.
The award-winning journalist was arrested on the 20th of July for inciting violence after he had persuaded the citizenry to participate in anti-corruption protests that were pencilled for the 31st.
Zimbabwean prisons are reportedly in bad shape and are also overcrowded making them very risky especially when the country is grappling with a pandemic.
The deadly virus has already breached the prison walls with both prisoners and prison officers to have contracted coronavirus.