Share

Zimbabwean police beat opposition supporters after rally ban

Zimbabwean riot police fired tear gas and beat opposition supporters on Wednesday after barring a planned address by the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, AFP journalists said.

Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside the headquarters in Harare of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after the party was denied permission to hold a rally in the city's Africa Unity Square.

Chamisa had been expected to make the address from the office balcony instead.

As the crowd danced to party songs blaring from speakers on the balcony, baton-wielding police arrived to disperse them.

An AFP correspondent saw a man with a bleeding gash on the head and a swollen arm after being hit with a truncheon as he left a food outlet.

Several shops and banks yanked down their shutters.

"Many people were beaten up and injured," MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele told AFP. "We condemn the police brutality in the strongest terms".

'It's the same old regime' 

He said Emmerson Mnangagwa's government was as oppressive as the regime of the man he had ousted, former president Robert Mugabe.

"It's the same old regime. Worse than Smith," he said referring to Ian Smith, the white-minority prime minister of the 1960s and 70s, who declared independence in defiance of Britain, the country's colonial power.

"Maybe they are afraid that what they did to Mugabe in November 2017 will repeat itself," said a man wearing a red MDC beret who identified himself as Terry T, referring to the military-led coup against Mugabe two years ago.

Chamisa had been expected to speak about the general state of the country including its entrenched economic crisis, corruption and crumbling health system.

Zimbabwe's economy, crippled by decades of mismanagement under Mugabe, has failed to rebound under Mnangagwa, and many Zimbabweans say the situation has got worse.

Hyperinflation is wiping out savings; unemployment is estimated at around 90 percent; fuel, medicine and other essentials are in short supply; and doctors and some public-sector workers have stopped going to work as they cannot afford the cost of commuting.

Many families live on one meal a day.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 417 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 593 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.93
+0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.89
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent-ruolie
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE