Uneasy silence in Harare streets after Zimbabwe’s military moves in, guns firing

Added by Marcus Marvin on August 1, 2018.
Saved under Editor's Picks, Human Rights, Legal Affairs, News, SOUTHERN AFRICA, Zimbabwe
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Zimbabweans are eagerly awaiting the results of the presidential election after the ruling Zanu-PF party won the majority of seats in parliament. Follow the live update here:

Watch this video of the moment when MDC supporters started protesting in capital Harare.

An uneasy silence is settling over Zimbabwe’s capital after people fled military and other security forces firing live ammunition to break up opposition protests over Monday’s election results.

At least one person was killed.

Soldiers are stationed at intersections in Harare as the sun begins to set.

Hundreds of angry opposition supporters had gathered outside the compound of the electoral commission before scattering as the military moved in.

The violence came shortly after Western election observers urged the release of the presidential results as soon as possible and warned that a delay could lead to “volatility”.

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Reports on social media say there will be a government on @ZBCNewsonline on the unrest in Harare

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Here is a video of the MDC supporters before they were dispersed by the military and riot police in Harare.

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SABC is quoting the Zimbabwe Electoral commission as saying that the results of the heavily disputed presidential election will be released on Thursday.

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See this picture gallery of Zimbabwe soldiers and police clashing with MDC protesters P over alleged fraud in the country’s election.

Zimbabwean anti riot police officers stand guard at the entrance of the

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) headquarters in Harare on

August 1, 2018, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change

(MDC) protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority

and ruling party, after the announcement of the election’s results.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in parliament, official results

showed on August 1, 2018, but EU observers criticised the Zimbabwe elections

for being held on an “un-level playing field”. / AFP PHOTO / Luis TATO

Zimbabwean anti riot police officers sit in a truck, look at a supporter of the

opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who takes part in a protest

against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, after

the announcement of the election’s results, outside the Zimbabwe Electoral

Commission (ZEC) headquarters in Harare on August 1, 2018, as supporters

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in parliament, official

results showed on August 1, 2018, but EU observers criticised the

Zimbabwe elections for being held on an “un-level playing field”. / AFP PHOTO / Luis TATO

A supporter of Zimbabwean opposition MDC Alliance party sits in front of the

bonnet of an anti-riot police truck as other supporters react outside the

MDC Alliance’s headquarters in Harare on August 1, 2018, after the announcement

of the election’s official results.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in parliament, official

results showed on August 1, as the count continued in the presidential race and

the opposition MDC cried foul, alleging widespread fraud.

/ AFP PHOTO / MARCO LONGARI

Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest

against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, after

the announcement of election’s results, in the streets of Harare, on August 1, 2018.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in parliament, official results showed

on August 1, 2018, but EU observers criticised the Zimbabwe elections for being held

on an “un-level playing field”. / AFP PHOTO / Luis TATO

Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers

where the election’s results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by

the election authority and ruling party, in Harare, on August 1, 2018.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in parliament, official results

showed on August 1, 2018, but EU observers criticised the Zimbabwe elections for

being held on an “un-level playing field”. / AFP PHOTO / Luis TATO

Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),

tear up ballot booths durinas they demand results of general election in

Harare, Zimbabwe. (File:AFP)

A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man in a street of Harare as protests erupted

over alleged fraud in the country’s election. One man was shot dead,

AFP witnessed, after the Zimbabwean army opened fire in central Harare on Wednesday

as protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country’s election. (File:AFP)

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Nelson Chamisa has tweeted, thanking his supporters for voting for him. He maintains that he has won the election.

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WATCH this video of cars burning in Harare.

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“Those same tankers ‘we’ celebrated last year in November are being used against us,” says one shocked Zimbabwean after armed troops moved into the capital to disperse opposition protests over disputed election results.

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Zimbabwean soldiers are occupying intersections in Harare and a military helicopter flies overhead.
People scatter as armored vehicles speed by with sirens wailing.

“They are killing us,” a man shouts.Some protesters threw bricks into a main road with a military truck parked nearby, then ran when police trucks with water cannon raced toward them.

This is the first time Zimbabwe’s military has been on the streets of Harare since the removal of longtime leader Robert Mugabe in November. At the time the military was met with cheers and selfies. – AP

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SA’s Zizi Kodwa has just tweeted that “Nelson Chamisa must be held accountable for reckless inflammatory and reckless statements” which have “now led to eruption of violent protests in Harare.”

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A man lies on the ground after the Zimbabwean army opened fire in central Harare as protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country’s election.

The man died after being shot in the stomach, an AFP photographer said, confirming that he died at the scene. (AFP)

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“Don’t direct the politics with guns. Please, we are begging you,” Zimbabweans are pleading as armed security forces are on the streets of the capital and sporadic gunshots are heard.

Live video by The Associated Press from Harare shows smoke rising from burning vehicles and opposition supporters scattering after they protested alleged manipulation in Monday’s election.

Election observers from the European Union and United States urge that results of the presidential vote be released as soon as possible to avoid “volatility”. – AP

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A British Financial Times newspaper journalist has tweeted that ‘masked soldiers are beating up people’ in Harare.

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One man was shot dead, AFP witnessed, after the Zimbabwean army opened fire in central Harare on Wednesday as protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country’s election.

The man died after being shot in the stomach, an AFP photographer said, confirming that he died at the scene. – AFP

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Armed troops on the streets of Zimbabwe’s capital try to disperse opposition protesters. – AP

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Stanley Kwenda of BBC says sharp and loud gun sounds can be heard in the capital Harare

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263Chat is tweeting that a Zanu-PF bus has been set ablaze by MDC supporter at a bus terminus in Harare as tempers remain high

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From AFP:
Zimbabwe police on Wednesday fired water cannon and teargas at opposition supporters outside the electoral results headquarters in Harare, an AFP correspondent witnessed, as tensions erupted over alleged fraud in the election.
Officers had been facing off through a locked gate against protesters who brandished opposition party banners, lit fires and chanted slogans against the ruling Zanu-PF party.

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BBC’s Pierce Scholfield says tension is building up outside the results centre

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Helen Zille has tweeted about the Zimbabwe election

Source: News angencies


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