Soldiers take over security in Harare, Bulawayo

THE Zimbabwe National Army has taken full charge of the security in Harare, Bulawayo and Chitungwiza following a fuel demo staged by citizens.

Three military trucks headed to Chitungwiza Monday late afternoon, where a police station was reportedly under siege from protesters.

What started off as a stay away ended up being a looting spree in many suburbs in Harare and Bulawayo. Roads were also blocked by youths who demanded extortion fees to let motorists through.

Earlier the police had  fired warning shots and teargas as a protest strike against the fuel Increase as  well as economic policies.

The strike follows days of unrest over the government's failure to pay  to deal with the economic woes bedevilling the country.
The deployment of the military came one month after an official report said police and soldiers used "unjustified and disproportionate" force to kill 6 people during election protests in 2018. The report also said opposition leaders had incited violence ahead of the deployment of soldiers in Harare last year.

The military's deployment Monday was criticised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a group of several non-governmental organisations.