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Justice Mayor Wadyajena

Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
CONTROVERSIAL Gokwe-Nembudziya Member of Parliament Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena was arrested in Victoria Falls on Saturday after the close of the 15th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference on allegations of denigrating the First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe.

Details about what transpired were still sketchy last night as police were not available to comment on the issue.

But sources from within Zanu-PF said Cde Wadyajena was arrested following an altercation with businessman and Zanu-PF member Cde Jimayi Muduvuri from Mashonaland West Province.

The two were among the delegates to the conference where indiscipline and factionalism were denounced by President Robert Mugabe and other senior party leaders.

The youthful legislator reportedly approached Cde Muduvuri who had parked his car in the town centre of Victoria Falls and made “nasty” comments about the First Lady’s picture which was pasted on Cde Muduvuri’s car.

“The exact words he used are not yet clear for now but he made some comments about the picture denouncing the First Lady. Cde Muduvuri immediately alerted some party officials and the matter was reported to the police, leading to Cde Wadyajena’s arrest,” said a party source.

The poster on Cde Muduvuri’s car had the face of the First Lady and a slogan that read “Vanhu vose kuna Amai (everyone to our mother.”

Cde Wadyajena was reportedly not detained on his arrest and was still in Victoria Falls yesterday afternoon.

Sources close to the case said he would be taken to court today and charges related to using verbal insults will likely be preferred against him.

The legislator, who chairs the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, is not new to controversy after being involved in parliament skirmishes with the party’s national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere a few months ago.

This resulted in the spat spilling from Parliament into party structures as youths from Harare demanded his ouster accusing him of abusing his position to settle personal scores.

The youths accused Cde Wadyajena of abusing his parliamentary position to badmouth senior party officials.

The arrest in Victoria Falls took place a few hours after President Mugabe castigated indiscipline in the party earlier in the day.

“We can’t succeed if we don’t pull together in unity. It doesn’t hurt your integrity to respect seniors in the party. Respect even your juniors. Listen to others as well,” said President Mugabe as he closed the conference on Saturday.

Cde Kasukuwere also spoke about the need for stern measures in dealing with undisciplined cadres as he said the party was concerned about such elements.

Yesterday, Cde Kasukuwere said he had not received a report about the arrest.