Hopewell Chin'ono

Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono is a Harvard University-trained Zimbabwean journalist.[1] He has won numerous awards in journalism and has worked in both print and broadcasting journalism.

History

Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono is an award-winning documentary film maker and international journalist. He was the ITV News Africa Field Producer and The New York Times ZIMBABWE foreign correspondent.

Hopewell trained as a journalist at the Zimbabwean Institute of Mass Communications before getting his first post graduate Master of Arts degree in International Journalist from City University's Journalism school in London, England.

After graduating from City University he worked with the BBC World Service as a freelance radio producer. In 2003 he returned to his native Zimbabwe to work for the BBC as a freelance correspondent.

He won a British Government Chevening scholarship in 2006 to read film at Brunel University, where he obtained a Master of Arts degree in Documentary Practice in 2007.

He returned to Zimbabwe in 2007 and made a multi-award-winning documentary film called Pain in My Heart. Pain in my Heart won the 2008 CNN African Journalist of the year award,[2] 2008 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Award and the Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.[3]

After making Pain in My Heart he set up Television International in Zimbabwe, a production house that produced news for ITN and South Africa's e.tv. He has also worked with CNN International as a field producer on special assignments.

In 2008 he went to the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School where he was awarded The Tutu Fellowship in African Leadership. Hopewell is a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, the third Zimbabwean journalist of only three to have won the most prestigious Fellowship in journalism. In 2009 he was the winner of the US Aid Communication award in Zimbabwe for his HIV and Aids Reporting. In 2010 he was nominated for a Rory Peck television award for his documentary film A Violent Response.[4] A Violent Response was also nominated for a 2010 BANFF World Television Award in Canada.[5]

Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono was the television producer for UK's ITV News, which is part of the Independent Television News Group and the Zimbabwe Foreign Correspondent for The New York Times.

He worked as South Africa's eNCA foreign correspondent and producer in Zimbabwe from February 2008 to April 2014. He is a multi-skilled television journalist who does Correspondence, Producing, Camera and Editing work.

HE has left journalism to return to documentary filmmaking and has just finished making State of Mind, a film looking at Zimbabwe’s mental illness epidemic.

In September 2018 he was named in a fake scholarship scam that targeted the Graca Machel Trust with letters bearing his name and signature being used to cheat unsuspecting applicants to the scholarship. The Graca Machel Trust went on to issue a public warning repudiating any association with Chin'ono.[2]

In 2020, Hopewell reported on alleged Covid-19 procurement fraud within the health ministry, which led to the arrest and sacking of Health Minister Obadiah Moyo. It was President Emmerson Mnangagwa who fired Obadiah in July for "inappropriate conduct" over the $60 million medicines supply scandal. On July 20, 2020, Hopewell was arrested and charged with inciting public violence. Minutes before his arrest he tweeted, “They are breaking into my house: alert the world!”[3] The US embassy called Hopewell's arrest "deeply concerning", while his lawyer called it "an abduction" and Amnesty accused Zimbabwean authorities of "misusing the criminal justice system to persecute journalists and activists".[4][5][6][7] He was freed in September on bail, then he was arrested again in November 2020 and was charged with obstructing justice and contempt of court for a tweet about the court outcome of a gold smuggling scandal.[8]

Hopewell Chin’ono was released on bail on January 27, 2021 after spending three weeks in prison. Chin’ono expressed concern about the COVID-19 pandemic in the overcrowded Chikurubi Prison and accuses the government of harassment for arresting him three times in five months.[9]

Professional awards

2013

Fearless: Beatrice Mtetwa & the Rule of Law. Co-produced with Lorie Conway. The documentary film looks at the life and works of Beatrice Mtetwa, Zimbabwe's celebrated award-winning human rights lawyer. It tells the story of the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe through the narratives of Beatrice's clients from journalists, human rights activist, opposition politician and gender activists. Aired on CNBC and Channel 4 The 2014 One Media Awards nomination in documentary section

2010

A Violent Response The documentary film looks at Zimbabwe's post-election violence.[10] Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono worked on the production as the director, executive producer and director of photography.

The film won:

  • The 2010 BANNF nomination in Canada
  • The 2010 Rory Peck Award nomination for feature in London

2008

Last White Man, co-produced with Greek National Television. The film looks at the White Zimbabwean farmers and the Land Reform process. It is the image of Africa's ex-granary that became synonymous with poverty, inflation, corruption. It also looks at the historical aspects of the Land issue in Zimbabwe. Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono worked on the production as a Co-producer, Director of photography and Co-director.

2008

Inside Zimbabwe: Y Byd ar Bedwar, co-produced with ITV Wales, UK. A look at the starvation and levels of political intolerance taking place in Zimbabwe caused by bad governance and exacerbated by hyper inflation. This film was shot undercover for ITV Wales. Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono worked on the production as a Co-producer, Director of photography and Co-director.

2007

Pain in my Heart. A heart-breaking story of the HIV and Aids situation in Zimbabwe. It traces two HIV-infected Zimbabweans, one is on life saving Anti-Retroviral medication courtesy of a local church, the other is a single mother of two who fails to get medication and as a result dies, leaving two orphans. The film is a metaphor of the political situation in Zimbabwe. Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono worked on the production as the Documentary Film Director, Executive Producer and Co-director of photography.[11]

The film won:

  • The 2008 African Journalist of the year award
  • The 2008 Henry Kaiser Foundation award for HIV & Aids Reporting in Africa
  • The 2008 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership award
  • The 2009 USAID Communication Award

2007

Master of Arts Degree in Documentary Practice Brunel University, London, United Kingdom.[12]

2000

Master of Arts Degree in International Journalism City University, London, United Kingdom.

1993

Higher National Diploma in Mass Communications Zimbabwe Institute of Mass Communications, Harare, Zimbabwe.

2009

Robert Waldo Ruhl Scholarship Fund for Journalism to study at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow in Cambridge, USA.

2006

Chevening British Government Scholarship to study Documentary Film Making at Brunel University in London, England.

2010

Nieman Global Health Journalism Fellowship Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

2008

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship for Young African Leaders Said Business School, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Professional Fellowships
  • CNN Journalism Fellowship

References
  1. "Zimbabwean journalist wins prestigious award". Zimbabwejournalists.com. 2008-02-25. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  2. "Graça Machel Trust statement regarding the fraudulent scholarships issued in Zimbabwe using the Trust's credentials".
  3. Hartwell, Leon (2020-07-21). "'They Are Breaking into My House: Alert the World'". Medium. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  4. "Whistle-blowing Zimbabwean journalist arrested". BBC News. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  5. "Zimbabwe: Authorities continue their crackdown on dissent with arrest of investigative journalist and activist". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  6. "Zimbabwe police detain prominent journalist, opposition official". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  7. Columbus S. Mavhunga, for. "Zimbabwe police arrest a prominent journalist and an opposition leader". CNN. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  8. "Prominent Zimbabwe journalist remains behind bars for tweet". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  9. MUTSAKA, FARAI (January 27, 2021). "Zimbabwean journalist released on bail after weeks in prison". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  10. "Niemans in the News Article". web.archive.org. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  11. "Zimbabwe journalist wins CNN award - CNN.com". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  12. "Brunel Arts | Brunel University London". www.brunel.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
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