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*Reactions To Jacob Ngarivhume's Imprisonment*

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The conviction and imprisonment of opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume last month have been widely criticised by individuals and organizations.

Ngarivhume was convicted of incitement to public violence and sentenced to four years in jail for a tweet he posted in July 2020. Twelve months were conditionally suspended, with his case being seen as a threat to the constitutional rights of all Zimbabweans. In the 2020 tweet, Ngarivhume called for a national shutdown to protest against poor leadership by the ZANU PF-led government. Pindula News presents some of the responses to Ngarivhume’s conviction and imprisonment:

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Jonathan Moyo, a former Information Minister now in exile, claimed that the conviction and imprisonment of opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume signifies a regression of Zimbabwe’s judiciary system back to the Gukurahundi era. The Gukurahundi era was a period of political violence from 1983 to 1987. The Zimbabwean military killed an estimated 10 000 to 20 000 people, mostly ethnic Ndebele, under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion by armed dissidents and due to political tensions between ZANU-PF and PF-ZAPU parties.

Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has expressed shock upon learning of Jacob Ngarivhume‘s imprisonment in Zimbabwe. He said:

> I was shocked to hear that a Zimbabwean Government has jailed Jacob Ngarivhume @NgarivhumeJacob, for demanding accountability through picket lines on how Covid-19 funds were used in 2020 by kleptocratic politicians. Sending an activist to 4 years imprisonment for simply holding different political views is pathetic. Zimbabweans must learn to protect their own, particularly those who are the voice of the voiceless against the corrupt few. The truth will never be incarcerated; Africa we are one.

Amnesty International has urged Zimbabwean authorities to revoke opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume’s conviction and sentencing. Amnesty International‘s Interim Deputy Director in Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, expressed concern over the growing crackdown on opposition voices and dissent by Zimbabwean authorities, calling for the quashing of Ngarivhume’s sentence and an end to the weaponisation of the law to target opposition figures and those who speak out against corruption.

Ngarivhume’s defense team leader, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, plans to appeal both his conviction and sentencing at the High Court while also applying for bail pending appeal. The team is confident that the High Court will not uphold the conviction, and even if it does, the sentence of 36 months effective is considered outrageous.

Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono believes Ngarivhume is being persecuted for fighting corruption.

Former Petrotrade board chair Tinomudaishe Chinyoka expressed anger over the conviction of Jacob Ngarivhume, calling it a travesty and a low point for Zimbabwe. Chinyoka stated that Ngarivhume did not commit a crime, and his rights to freedom of expression and assembly were guaranteed by the Constitution. He criticised the sentencing of a man to four years in prison for a tweet and questioned the decision of the Public Prosecutor and Magistrate involved in the case, calling for accountability. Chinyoka, a ZANU PF official said:

> I might not agree with Ngarivhume’s politics, but he did not commit any crime. Our constitution says he did not commit any crime. And, while there are many that will disagree with me, I hope that they can find one point on which we might all agree. It is this: that as Zimbabweans, we should all be ashamed to live in country where a man can go to prison for four years for a tweet.

Gift Ostallos Siziba, the deputy spokesperson of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said:

> The conviction of Ngarivhume for calling for a peaceful demonstration as enshrined in our constitution is as shocking as it is revealing of the farcist nature of the Corrupt, unelectable and unpopular regime!

Team Pachedu shared a video and claimed that ZANU-PF youths incited violence during the July 31 peaceful protests by wielding knives, axes, and sjamboks, yet no one was arrested. They suggested that these individuals were the culprits and not Jacob Ngarivhume.

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