Ngarivhume granted $50,000 bail

Organiser of the planned July 31 mass protests, Jacob Ngarivhume, has been granted $50 000 bail coupled with stiff conditions on charges of scheming against Government by the High Court.

Justice Siyabona Msithu allowed Ngarivhume appeal for bail on the grounds of changed circumstances. His lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku successfully argued the matter for Ngarivhume.

Ngarivhume was denied bail following after spending 43 days in custody. He was charged along with political activist, Hopewell Chin'ono, who is awaiting ruling for his appeal for the same relief before another judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi this afternoon.

Chin'ono and Ngarivhume were charged with incitement to commit public violence or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence by posting messages through their Twitter handles between March 1 and July 20.

It is alleged that while in Harare city centre, Ngarivhume posted numerous messages on Twitter in an attempt to influence many people to engage in public violence or participate in a gathering that would disturb peace.

In some of the messages he said he met and consulted different stakeholders while mobilising for the demonstration. Ngarivhume alleged in the messages that he had met with people such as Mr Ian Makone, Dr Shingi Munyeza, Mr Elton Mangoma and Godfrey Tsenengamu as part of mobilising people.