Police are maintaining a heavy presence in most of the country’s cities as authorities fear the worst amid a clampdown on desperate vendors who are now fighting back.
In Harare, law enforcers have peppered the central business district with riot police officers, armed with batons while water cannon vehicles routinely comb the streets.
At night, the vendors who are now piling up stones to fight back if and when cornered, which is quite often, descend on the empty streets to conduct their business.
The leader of the Zimbabwe Informal Sector Organisation Makomborero Haruzivishe said they were mulling calling for a day of action to protest both the police clampdown and confiscation of wares.
Said Haruzivishe:
We have lost so much including our stalls worth $32 000, people have been assaulted especially during night raids, we have accounted at least 73 people who have been assaulted, those who are going to hospital are being asked to bring police reports which is not possible.As a way forward, we want a day of action so that we take the authorities to account. How can Zimbabwe be open for business when they are not allowing people to do business? If it was cholera alone, why take people’s clothes? Next week we are calling for a day of action where we are going to say enough is enough.
More ; The Zimbabwe Mail