MDC-T supporters Luckson Magege (39), a Kwekwe City Council employee, and Yeukai Marauro (30), who are being accused of assaulting councillors Weston Masiya and Morris Chinwada, have to wait until September 4 to know their fate.
BLESSED MHLANGA STAFF REPORTER The two, who pleaded not guilty when they appeared before provincial magistrate Letwin Rwodzi, were remanded out of custody for judgment at the close of the defence’s case last Friday.
They denied assaulting Masiya and Chinwada during a scuffle at the party’s Midlands North provincial offices on May 31 saying they were just performing their security duties of denying anyone suspected to be a member of the renewal team led by “axed” secretary-general Tendai Biti entry into the party offices.
The two councillors are believed to be sympathetic to Biti and were reportedly banned from attending a provincial executive meeting which was being held at the party offices on the day in question.
Masiya told the court that he was a member of the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai and had gone to attend the meeting as a member of the provincial council and was assaulted by Magege, Marauro and five others still at large.
He alleged the suit he was wearing was torn and his face slapped and punched when he attempted to gain entry into the party offices on that day.
Marauro had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting Chinwada when she appeared before Kwekwe resident magistrate Taurai Manwere, who fined her $100 or 30 days in prison.
In his judgment, Manwere lambasted party enthusiasts for resorting to violence as a way of solving issues saying they should instead be civil and exchange ideas instead of blows.
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He also considered that Chinwada had not sustained any serious injuries during the scuffle.
The State, represented by Tinashe Mhonda, told the court that on the day of the assault, Chinwada in the company of another councillor Weston Masiya, arrived at the Midlands North party offices in Kwekwe to attend a provincial meeting, but as they made their way to the gate, Marauro — in the company of the five still at large — denied them entry and a scuffle ensued.
