Clinton weighs in on Zimbabwe crisis, calls for release of political prisoners

While one would assume the United States (US) former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, would have her full attention on the Democratic National Convention (DNC), she has joined the voices of many calling on the Zimbabwean government to release political prisoners, including opposition figure Godfrey Kurauone.

Dozens of activists and journalists were arrested in July 2020, during a number of protests calling for economic reform and an end to corruption, which has continue marring the country once referred to as ‘Africa’s breadbasket’.

Clinton made her views known on Twitter on Wednesday, 19 August 2020.

I'm calling for the government of Zimbabwe to release all political prisoners, including Godfrey Kurauone, who represent the country's future. Justice demands it.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 19, 2020

The former first lady’s remarks come just days after the US embassy in Harare also took to the platform to call for the release of prominent government critics.

 Kurauone, who is a national youth organiser for the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC), was arrested in July 2020 after singing a protest song about President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

MDC: ‘Zimbabwe courts have been captured’

He appeared in court but was subsequently denied bail, which his party said was proof that the Zimbabwean justice system had been captured by Mnangagwa and his government.

“It is abundantly clear that Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt regime has since consigned the principles of separation of powers of the three arms of government into dustbins. What we now have is a domineering Executive that is giving political orders to Judiciary thereby upsetting legal balance”, the MDC Alliance’s Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said in a statement.

“The influence of the Executive on the Judiciary effectively puts our justice delivery system into a pit latrine. This is a sad chapter in the history of the country.”

Chuma added that despite the prosecution’s continued efforts to keep their fellow member behind bars, they would continue soldiering on in their fight against corruption.

Hopewell Chin’ono

Zimbabwean journalist Hopeful Chin’ono, who lifted the lid on the extent of COVID-19-related corruption in the country, was also arrested and is one of many who was accused of inciting violence.

Police pounced on Chin’ono at his home, allegedly without even a warrant.

Meanwhile the reporter’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has been barred from representing him. According to reports, Mtetwa was accused of running a number of social media pages which criticise the country’s justice system.