By Paul Nyathi

Two innocent women, a mother and daughter were brutally attacked by a lone thug in Gwanda town on their way to joining a bank queue for cash in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A relative close to the pair told ZimEye.com that the two were attacked by a knife branding male thug at around 3am when they were on their way to join a bank queue at a bank in the town centre.

The two women who were identified to ZimEye.com by the relative were each stabbed numerous times all over their bodies by the thug after they failed to comply to his demand for cash and any valuables on them.

The two were assisted by a security guard at premises about 200 metres away from the scene after the younger woman managed to walk the distance to seek for help.

An ambulance was called and took the two to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where the mother was immediately transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospital in a critical condition.

Sources at the hospital confirmed that the younger woman is still admitted in Gwanda and in a stable condition.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been insisting that the cash crisis in the country has stabilised and people no longer need to spend nights at the bank.

The situation on the ground however remains dire and desperate as banks are failing to provide the cash needed by the population especially those from rural areas who have limited access to other methods of payments.

The rural populace, especially pensioners, are having to spend days up to a week sleeping outside banks that give them a maximum $20 withdrawal a day.