A CASE in which Chirumanzu South National Assembly candidate Patrick Cheza (Citizens Coalition for Change) and four party activists are facing charges of assaulting Tourism minister Barbara Rwodzi was yesterday postponed to next Thursday.
Gweru magistrate Beaulity Dube postponed the matter to November 27 indicating that she was not feeling well and, therefore, was unable to record proceedings.
In September, the accused’s lawyers Esau Mandipa and Leopold Mudisi indicated that they would apply for referral of the case to the Constitutional Court.
Cheza (50) is being charged with inciting public violence alongside CCC activists Elias Maduveko (26), Magmaster Chidyawuye (21), Delight Zinyemba (22) and Courage Mugova (20).
It is alleged that Cheza incited CCC members to beat up Rwodzi after his vehicle was involved in an accident with a car belonging to the Tourism minister.
During trial, Rwodzi, however, admitted that Cheza did not assault her, adding that she did not see any of the accused persons.
Allegations are that on August 24, Cheza was driving along the Charandura-Chaka Road when he got to a place where a road traffic accident involving one of his cars and another which was being driven by Chengetai Rwodzi, the minister’s son.
Further allegations are that when Cheza arrived at the accident scene, he aggressively demanded to know why the minister wanted to kill CCC supporters yet she had won in the harmonised elections.
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Cheza allegedly instructed the four to attack Rwodzi.
In July last year, Rwodzi, who is also Chirumanzu South lawmaker, was recorded threatening to deal with a senior police officer for daring to investigate a criminal case against one of her supporters.
