Zimbabwe officer charged over tweet

HARARE: Zimbabwe prison authorities have charged an officer with undermining President Emmerson Mnangagwa after he posted on social media comments calling the main opposition leader “my president”, lawyers said Monday. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), a legal rights group, criticised the move as a “fresh clampdown on dissent” ahead of elections expected in July. The Prisons and Correctional Services authorities summoned John Mahlabera, 36, an officer at Chiredzi prison in the southern province of Masvingo, to appear before a disciplinary hearing on June 18. Mahlabera was alleged to have called main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa “my president” after Chamisa addressed a rally in Masvingo province. Four witnesses are expected to testify against him at the hearing.