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Senior Court Reporter

The trial of former Zanu-PF activist William Mutumanje — popularly known as Acie Lumumba — accused of insulting President Mugabe, failed to commence yesterday and he was further remanded pending the determination of his urgent chamber application at the Constitutional Court. Mutumanje recently approached the Constitutional Court seeking permission to bring his constitutional challenge directly to the apex court.Mutumanje last week had his application for referral of the criminal case to the Constitutional Court dismissed by Harare provincial magistrate Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe.

Having lost the application, Mutumanje then filed a chamber application for leave to bring his constitutional challenge before the nine-member bench directly.

While that application was pending before the Constitutional Court, Mutumanje filed an urgent chamber application seeking stay of the criminal trial at the magistrates’ court.

The two applications are yet to be determined by the Constitutional Court.

Mutumanje yesterday appeared before Mr Chikwekwe, who remanded him to September 20. He is being represented by Advocate Zvikomborero Chadambuka.

Mutumanje is being charged with undermining the authority of, or insulting the President as defined in Section 33 (2) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He allegedly used the F-word to insult President Mugabe.