Protests step up in Zim

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched through Harare on Thursday under close surveillance by armed police in the first rally since a deadly crackdown on an election protest in August.

Waving placards denouncing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule, the protesters gathered in the centre of the Zimbabwean capital to hear speeches ahead of a march.

The event, which was held with police approval, was organised by the main opposition MDC party, which says it was cheated of victory in the July 30 election, eight months after long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted.

In a mass demonstration two days later, six people died when security forces opened fire on the protesters, undermining Mnangagwa’s efforts to present the election as a fresh start for the nation after years of repression under Mugabe years.

Much of the marchers’ anger was focused on Zimbabwe’s renewed economic problems, with people struggling to cope with dramatic price rises and shortages of essentials like bread, cooking oil and petrol.

Marching through the rain, the protesters chanted praise for MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who claims he is the rightful winner of the election.

The latest bout of economic strife erupted last month when the government announced a 2% tax on all electronic transactions to increase revenue.

Many Zimbabweans rely on electronic payments as USD, which function as the country’s main currency, are scarce, with hardly anyone trusting the local “bond note” currency. —