MDC activists beats up Shona speaking security guards tells them to go and guard in Mashonaland

Gwanda based activists of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Professor Welshman Ncube yesterday appeared before Gwanda magistrate facing a change of assault after he beat up a Shona speaking security guard at the Gwanda branch of the People's Own Savings Bank claiming that he can not have a Shona speaking person guard his money in the bank.

According to the statement presented by the complainant to the police, Mpande found him and a work mate at their guarding point at the bank and asked them what they were doing at the premises. When the two told him that they were at work guarding the bank premises, Mpande started assaulting the complainant telling him to leave the area and go and look for a guarding job in Mashonaland.

Fearing for their lives the two guards fled the area to seek back up from nearby patrolling police officers.

The guards fled leaving behind their security guards Occurrence Book and a fire arm licence. Mpande is reported to have taken the Occurrence Book and wrote in the book that he had assaulted the guards and taken over charge of guarding the premises.

In his defence at the court, Mpande however claimed that he assaulted only one of the security guards who was not in uniform allegedly for interfering with the operation of the uniformed guard who was on duty. According to him the two guards were actually fighting each other when he got to the site leading him to assault the one who was not in uniform "to protect the bank."

The magistrate found him guilty of assault and remanded him out of custody on free bail to today for sentencing.