Three die as Zimbabwe explodes into violence amid election fury
VIOLENCE claimed at least three lives in Zimbabwe’s capital yesterday amid claims of election-rigging.
Military and police were sent in to break up protests mounted by opposition supporters in Harare.
The MDC Alliance alleges the ruling Zanu-PF party fixed Monday’s vote – the first election since the ousting of Robert Mugabe in November.
Parliamentary results show Zanu-PF heading for a large majority, while the presidential result has yet to be declared.
The MDC claims its presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, has won. Hundreds of its supporters had gathered outside the electoral commission headquarters but were dispersed by the military. Brick-throwing protesters were chased away by trucks armed with water cannons, while vehicles were set on fire.
Western election observers had urged the release of the presidential results as soon as possible, saying a delay could lead to volatility. There have been fears that military-backed figures who deposed Mugabe would not accept an MDC victory.
The Harare government said the army had been deployed on the streets to restore ‘peace and tranquillity’ after police could not cope. President Emmerson Mnangagwa blamed the MDC leadership for the three deaths and said it should remove its supporters from the streets.
Nkululeko Sibanda, an MDC spokesman, said the army’s reaction in quelling disturbances in Harare was ‘disproportionate and unjustified’. The electoral commission said it would say today when it would begin announcing the results.