Zim Battlefront: Harare CBD Closes as Vendors, Police Return to War

Latest Situation in Zimbabwe’s  Capital

There was the now common smell of teargas as police and local traders fought running battles in the restive city of Harare yesterday.

Vendors are protesting against the unlawful confiscation of their wares by council police in Harare. Police had to fire teargas across the CBD to disperse the vendors, some of whom fought back throwing stones at the partisan law enforcement agents.

Zimnews reporters also witnessed well known Zanu PF supporters throwing objects at vendors.

Some areas of the city went into shutdown mode as owners feared the street war would spill into their shops.

Happy Events, a clothing boutique along George Silundika and Angwa Street, had its business severely affected as police threw teargas inside the shop. “We closed our shop when the disturbances started. Police, however, threw teargas into the shop, breaking one of our glass doors in the process.

“We lost a day’s business because customers could not enter the shop owing to the heavily felt teargas that is still in the building. “We also sent home some of our workers who were greatly affected by the teargas,” said a worker from the shop who refused to be named.

Shops such as Ok Supermarket, Bata, TV Sales and Home and other small retail shops in the CBD were closed for the better part of yesterday afternoon.

Today, 28 September 2016, everything quite, business as usual though anything can happen anytime as  protesters have now realised that Harare, Mugabe’s seat,  is the best place to fight for change.