Eddie Cross's appeal turned down by the court

Magistrate Gladmore Mushove has turned down the Bulawayo South Member of Parliament, Edward Graham Cross's plea to extend his trial date.

Mushove told Cross that the court could not wait that long, therefore he was ordered to return for trial next week on January 21.

Cross, who was arrested for insulting and accusing a staffer at his party's provincial offices of being a thief.

Cross told the court that this month he has to attend a lot of Parliamentary meetings therefore he requested the trial date to be postponed to the beginning of February.

He said he could not be absent from the scheduled meetings.

It is in the State's case that on October 17, MDC party office administrator, Nkululeko Ndlovu called Cross and asked him to bring back the excess cash which he had overpaid to the polling agents during the July 31 elections last year.

During the conversation, Cross allegedly began to insult Ndlovu saying that black people would never rule this country properly.

It is alleged that the accused person provoked Ndlovu saying he was "a stupid man who talks crap" before dropping the call.

The court further heard that Cross proceeded to send a message to the complainant accusing him of being a thief and further threatened to fire him from work.

The matter was reported to ZRP Bulawayo Central Police Station where Cross was charged to have contravened Post and Telecommunications Service Act (Chapter 12:02).