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| John Mahlabera and Nelson Chamisa |
Clayton Shereni
A
former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer, John
Mahlabera has vowed to continue supporting MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa
despite losing his job over a tweet in which he professed his undying support
for the opposition leader.
“Come
to Chiredzi my President”, Mahlabera tweeted in the build up to the 2018
harmomised elections.
It
is this tweet that courted trouble for the prison officer who was immediately
suspended and ultimately dismissed from the service but despite losing
everything, Mahlabera who is now hustling in the streets of Harare says that
his support for Chamisa will never die.
“My
crime was supporting my president Nelson Chamisa. I lost my job because of that
but I am not apologetic.
“It
is who I am and now I am looking forward. There is no time to look back because
no one can really change my political opinion.
“I
have no fixed job at the moment and I am hustling like most Zimbabweans to
provide for my family,” said Mahlabera.
A
few weeks after Mahlabera’s tweet, Chamisa headed to Chiredzi and addressed one of
his biggest 2018 campaign rallies in Tshovani Stadium and Mahlabera was called
to the stage where Chamisa paraded him and praised his gutsy character.
Mahlabera
was charged of contravening the Prisons Staff Disciplinary Regulations of 1984.
Although
he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Mahlabera was found guilty of using
‘disloyal’ or ‘traitorous’ words against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and contravening
Prisons Staff Disciplinary Regulations
of 1984 which led to his dismissal.
Mahlabera
tried to make an appeal earlier this year but it was ignored by former prisons
boss Paradzai Zimhondi.
