'Zimbabwe: PG Seeks Rescission of Chin'ono Judgment', 10 May 2021

Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi has filed an application for rescission of a default judgment granted against the prosecution that led to the acquittal of journalist-cum political activist Hopewell Chin'ono on charges of publishing falsehoods... According to an affidavit deposed by prosecutor Mr Fungai Nyahunzvi, he failed to file the opposing papers to Chin'ono's application for review because of a mix up as he was involved in another case in which the prosecution intended to appeal at the Supreme Court involving the same person... The charges against Chin'ono stemmed from a Twitter post in which he said a police officer had beaten and killed a child strapped to its mother's back using a baton after a video of the alleged incident went viral... The journalist-turned political activist was first arrested in July last year on charges of inciting through social media, violent anti-government protests against alleged State corruption. He was arrested again in November on charges of obstructing justice, after tweeting about a gold-smuggling case involving political elites. He is out on bail on the other two charges, which he denies and is accusing the Government of persecuting him.