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Zimbabwe police break up anti-Mugabe demo in Harare

Wednesday, 03 August 2016 1:32 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 03 August 2016 1:32 PM ]

A man holds a placard as he marches through the streets of Bulawayo during a protest against police brutality, corruption and the state of the economy, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, July 26, 2016. (AFP)

Police in Zimbabwe used tear gas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters in the capital Harare Wednesday, amid soaring economic woes in the South African country.

The violence erupted when a large crowd of protesters gathered outside the Finance Ministry building and started throwing stones at police and their vehicles.

According to reports, many of the marchers wore the national flag around their necks.

Several of the angry demonstrators held anti-government placards and chanted slogans against the economic policies of the administration of President Robert Mugabe.

Douglas Munjere, 30, a graduate protester who is jobless years after completing university, said Zimbabwean youth need jobs for survival.

"What we are saying is simple, we need jobs," Munjere said, adding, "All these people should be at work but there are no jobs."

Zimbabwe has witnessed demonstrations for and against President Mugabe in recent months.

Supporters of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe attend a demonstration in the capital Harare on July 27, 2016. (AFP)

In April, thousands of supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, attended a demonstration in Harare, calling for the resignation of the president.

Mugabe recently vowed to fight back and crack down on the protest leaders. "We know how to deal with our enemies who have been trying to bring about regime change," he said in a speech last week.

The opposition says the administration of the 92-year-old president has failed to properly address issues in the economy sector and employment. The government is also accused of repressing dissent and vote-rigging.

Mugabe, who regularly appears in public, has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980. He has announced he will run for presidency again in 2018.

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