Attorney Jeremiah Bamu said on Friday that the guard has been charged with "undermining the authority" of Mugabe, and would face trial on August 12. He also said that no witness had overheard remarks that include an alleged reference to Mugabe's likely death from illness. It is the latest case in a number of charges and arrests for allegedly insulting the president, an act that carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison.

Bamu said that guard Zebediah Mpofu, employed at a private security firm, was reported to police by his colleague, a known supporter of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

"It is an attempt to gag political views," he said. The independent Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group has reportedly identified a man who is already serving a year-long sentence for cursing Mugabe with obscenities in southeastern Zimbabwe, while two students have also been accused of illegally downloading an animated video showing his fictional assassination. Besides, at least five people in eastern Zimbabwe have reportedly been charged with insulting Mugabe by changing the words of songs used by his loyalists, with one of the songs saying: "Let's work hard to remove this old man and install Tsvangirai," a former labour leader who did not fight in the guerrilla war that swept Mugabe to power in 1980. (ANI)

By Staff reporter and agencies