Harare police disperse fuel queues
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Baton-wielding riot police have been dispersing people queuing for basic commodities and fuel around Harare as the Zimbabwean government struggles to paint a picture of tranquillity to visiting Cricket World Cup teams and journalists covering the tournament.
The privately owned Daily News said police had closed all fuel stations along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Road, linking Harare airport with the city centre, apparently to deceive arriving journalists and cricketers about the fuel crisis in the country by eliminating fuel queues. Wellington Chibhebhe, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, said that in the period leading up to the World Cup the police had been "chasing away people from fuel, bread and mealie meal queues, which are the order of the day all over the country".
The Daily News said reporters had toured overcrowded shopping centres in highly populated suburbs and seen police harassing groups of people and dispersing them.
Tinarwo Musosa, who was at one shopping centre, told the newspaper: "We cannot buy bread here because the police said queues are causing disorder at the shopping centre."
Mildred Zimuko said the police, with the help of youths supporting the ruling Zanu-PF party, had beaten people queuing for maize-meal. An employee at one supermarket confirmed that police had been violent with customers in Highfield on Friday last week.
Meanwhile, in the treason trial of the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the country's star witness, Ari Ben- Menashe, admitted that he was paid US$200,000 (£120,000) by the Zimbabwe government after he recorded a grainy video in which Mr Tsvangirai is said to have discussed a plot to kill the President, Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai denies the charges and says he was framed by Mr Ben-Menashe.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments