Soldiers on Zimbabwe's Streets Amid Unrest
MacDonald Dzirutwe
The Advocate
Soldiers are patrolling the streets in Zimbabwe as the government tries to quell violent protests.
Zimbabwe's military has put on a show of force to deter further unrest after at least three deaths in violent protests over steep fuel price hikes.
Zimbabweans accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa of failing to live up to pre-election pledges to kick-start growth, having seen their purchasing power eroded by hyper-inflation, and of resorting to armed force to crush dissent like his strongman predecessor Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa has promised a clean break from the 37-year era of Mugabe, who was forced out in a de facto coup in November 2017. But residents say the army is beating up suspected protesters in various townships.
"We are suffering. Mnangagwa has failed this country. Enough is enough, we no longer want this," protester Takura Gomba said in Warren Park, a Harare township, while retreating with others as soldiers approached in trucks on Tuesday.
Amnesty International condemned the military crackdown, saying at least 200 people had been arbitrarily detained.
Monday's street disturbances followed sharp increases in fuel prices decreed by Mnangagwa.
As security forces faced accusations of heavy-handedness and more protests threatened to break out, Labour Minister Sekai Nzenza announced that public workers would get a monthly supplement of between 5 and 23 per cent of their salaries from January to March while wage negotiations with unions continued.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that a police officer was stoned to death by protesters in Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo on Monday, while two other people died during protests in Chitungwiza, south of Harare, and Kadoma, west of the capital.
In Harare and Bulawayo, banks, schools, businesses and the stock market remained shut as many residents stayed at home.
A human rights lawyers' group said it had received reports of soldiers and police breaking into homes in townships overnight and assaulting suspected demonstrators.
Security forces had been deployed in population centres to stave off further demonstrations, witnesses said, and people in Harare said they could no longer access the internet.
Amnesty, in a statement, said the internet was cut off to prevent people from supporting or organising protests while critics said the government sought to prevent images of its heavy-handedness from being broadcast around the world.
Australian Associated Press
The Advocate
Soldiers are patrolling the streets in Zimbabwe as the government tries to quell violent protests.
Zimbabwe's military has put on a show of force to deter further unrest after at least three deaths in violent protests over steep fuel price hikes.
Zimbabweans accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa of failing to live up to pre-election pledges to kick-start growth, having seen their purchasing power eroded by hyper-inflation, and of resorting to armed force to crush dissent like his strongman predecessor Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa has promised a clean break from the 37-year era of Mugabe, who was forced out in a de facto coup in November 2017. But residents say the army is beating up suspected protesters in various townships.
"We are suffering. Mnangagwa has failed this country. Enough is enough, we no longer want this," protester Takura Gomba said in Warren Park, a Harare township, while retreating with others as soldiers approached in trucks on Tuesday.
Amnesty International condemned the military crackdown, saying at least 200 people had been arbitrarily detained.
Monday's street disturbances followed sharp increases in fuel prices decreed by Mnangagwa.
As security forces faced accusations of heavy-handedness and more protests threatened to break out, Labour Minister Sekai Nzenza announced that public workers would get a monthly supplement of between 5 and 23 per cent of their salaries from January to March while wage negotiations with unions continued.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that a police officer was stoned to death by protesters in Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo on Monday, while two other people died during protests in Chitungwiza, south of Harare, and Kadoma, west of the capital.
In Harare and Bulawayo, banks, schools, businesses and the stock market remained shut as many residents stayed at home.
A human rights lawyers' group said it had received reports of soldiers and police breaking into homes in townships overnight and assaulting suspected demonstrators.
Security forces had been deployed in population centres to stave off further demonstrations, witnesses said, and people in Harare said they could no longer access the internet.
Amnesty, in a statement, said the internet was cut off to prevent people from supporting or organising protests while critics said the government sought to prevent images of its heavy-handedness from being broadcast around the world.
Australian Associated Press
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