By OWN CORRESPONDENT OPPOSITION Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) leader and July 31 protests convener Jacob Ngarivhume yesterday had his third freedom bid quashed by a Harare magistrate who further remanded him in custody to September 4. In denying him bail, magistrate Trynos Utahwashe said the changed circumstances that the opposition leader cited in his application could not guarantee public safety. Utahwashe said although Ngarivhume was leader of an obscure political party with little political influence, he was likely to team up with his other members of his July 31 movement who were still at large and further incite violence. The magistrate added that there was reasonable fear that Ngarivhume and accomplices could still pursue their plot to oust President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Ngarivhume’s lawyer, Moses Nkomo said he was going to file an urgent High Court application to challenge the magistrate’s ruling. The opposition leader is being charged together with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono whose bail ruling is expected on Monday. They face charges of inciting public protests on July 31, and have been in remand prison for a month.
