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Justice Mayor Wadyajena

Bulawayo Bureau
Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena, who was arrested in Victoria Falls on Saturday soon after the Zanu-PF 15th Annual National People’s Conference for allegedly denigrating First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe, appeared in court yesterday charged with criminal insult.

He was released on $800 bail.

Wadyajena (35) was also charged with an alternative crime of violating Section 41 of the criminal law codification Act, which criminalises conduct that is likely to provoke the breach of peace.

Wadyajena, who is being represented by Mr Givemore Muvhiringi of Dube and Company, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.

Wadyajena of 222 Brook Drive, Borrowdale Brooke, was dressed in a white T-shirt, grey faded jeans and orange shoes.

The magistrate ordered the legislator to report at Borrowdale Police Station once every Monday, to reside at his given address, to surrender his travel documents by Thursday at the Clerk of Court Victoria Falls and not to interfere with witnesses as part of his bail conditions.

Trial will start on January 5, 2016.

Applying for bail, the defence lawyer had sought leave to have his client surrender his travel documents on Thursday because he had left them at the Harare International Airport locked in a car as he flew to Victoria Falls for the Zanu-PF conference.

Mr Listen Nare, appearing for the State, said there were fears the accused could flee if released before the passport is surrendered to which Ms Muvhiringi said as a legislator and chairman of a parliamentary portfolio committee there was no way he could do that.

“The accused became aware of his charges two days ago and since then he hasn’t been in police custody yet he didn’t escape. It is unthinkable that he can choose to jeopardise his parliamentary position for the sake of avoiding trial in a charge that attracts a fine of level 6,” said Ms Muvhiringi.

Mr Nare alleged that Wadyajena uttered insults to Cde Jimayi Muduvuri, a Zanu-PF member based in Kadoma.

“The two are members of Zanu-PF and were in Victoria Falls attending the party’s 15th Annual People’s Conference. At about 9:45 the complainant was travelling to Elephant Hills Hotel along Park Way in his Mercedes Benz ML320 which had pictures of the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe with words ‘Munhu wese kuna mhamha’ inscribed below the pictures,” said Mr Nare.

He said when Cde Muduvuri got to Chicken Inn, Wadyajena who was standing beside a car shouted: “Iwe Jimayi urimboko. Unogoti munhu wese kunamhamha sei. Get away. You Jimayi you are an idiot. Why do you always say everyone to mother? Get away.” Some of the words he allegedly uttered are unprintable.

The court heard that Cde Muduvuri felt insulted and quizzed the accused why he was insulting him and a colleague, Cde George Matenda, who was driving, restrained him and he proceeded with his journey.

Cde Muduvuri later reported the matter to the police resulting in Wadyajena’s arrest.