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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
PROSECUTORS have preferred fresh disorderly conduct charges against Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena after he allegedly insulted Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge’s wife, Cde Letina Munamato Undenge. This is the second charge that Wadyajena faces following his arrest in December last year for allegedly insulting another party member from Mashonaland West, Cde Jimayi Muduvuri.

In the latest case, Wadyajena, 35, is alleged to have insulted the minister’s wife at Elephant Hills Resort reception area on December 12. “You’re alleged to have insulted Letina Munamato Undenge on December 12 at 8AM while at the reception area at Elephant Hills Hotel saying ‘F**k you, you’re an idiot ndinokukiriya (I can deal with you). . .” said prosecutor Takunda Ndovorwi.

Some of the words that the MP allegedly uttered are unprintable. Wadyajena was not asked to plead to the new charges. The State applied to have the charges combined with the initial charge in connection with the matter involving Cde Muduvuri.

Wadyajena’s lawyer Givemore Muviringi has since made an application for the matter to be referred to the Constitutional Court as he is challenging the constitutionality of a section of the Criminal Code under which his client is being charged.

Victoria Falls magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa on Tuesday deferred the case to March 1, when she will rule on the application.Wadyajena also had a warrant of arrest that was issued against him on February 1 cancelled after his lawyer proved to the court that he was ill when he skipped court on the day.

The defence lawyer also successfully applied for a temporary release of the legislator’s passport as he wants to use it on Parliament business.

“The accused’s passport is temporarily released to him forthwith until July 27 so he can travel outside the country,” said the magistrate.

Wadyajena was arrested in December soon after the 15th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference for allegedly insulting Cde Muduvuri. The insults also allegedly denigrated the First Lady.

He was initially charged with criminal insult or alternatively disorderly conduct.The criminal insult charge was dropped on grounds that it was declared as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.

According to prosecutors, at about 9:45PM on December 11, Cde Muduvuri was travelling to Elephant Hills Hotel along Park Way in his Mercedes Benz ML320 which had pictures of the First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe all over the body with words “Munhu wese kuna Amai” (Everyone should rally behind the First Lady) inscribed below the pictures.Wadyajena who was standing beside his car was alleged to have shouted:

“Iwe Jimayi uri mboko . . .Unongoti munhu wese kunaAmai sei. Get away,” loosely translated, “Jimayi you’re an idiot, Why do you say everyone should rally behind the First Lady? Get away.”)

He is alleged to have insulted the minister’s wife the following morning.