‘RIOT POLICE raid Mbare homes and business premises to flush out protesters’

RIOT POLICE reportedly raided several houses and business premises in Mbare township in Harare yesterday to ‘flush’ out protesters and looters.

Violence engulfed Harare on Friday during demonstrations by more than 20 opposition political parties.

Several shops were destroyed and looted within the central business district.

According to ‘The Standard’, residents of the restive suburb were still afraid of a repeat of Friday’s events.

“Most of my colleagues did not come today. They are not sure if the violence will not start again,” said an elderly vegetable vendor
“I had only shampooed her hair but I had to let her go home with water dripping from her head because it is too risky,” a hairdresser said.

The hairdresser said police raided several homes in the evening to pluck out people suspected to have looted shops in the CBD and those who fought running battles with the law enforcers.

“Some youths, I am not sure which party, were clearly agitating for a fight, whistling and chanting some songs,” said another vegetable vendor.

She said many of her colleagues lost their wares as they also took to their heels upon getting news that people were now trying to continue with the demonstrations away from the CBD.

“We heard sirens and someone said a police truck was on its way. We all fled this place,” said an airtime vendor. A shop assistant at a supermarket said it was very scary and they had to close earlier than usual.

“There were potential looters just loitering around and we decided to close early. We were all afraid because we had wrongly assumed it would be confined to the CBD,” she said. source-standard