This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
June 20, 2020 - Zimbabwe's security forces have sealed the country's major cities without notice, sparking claims of plots to topple President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.
Armed soldiers and police set up checkpoints on major roads in Harare, Bulawayo, and Kwekwe beginning Monday, forcing government buses to drop off passengers at the checkpoints.
Only health workers and members of security forces were allowed to proceed.
The government has issued conflicting statements on the heightened security clampdown, with President Mnangagwa's spokesman George Charamba saying it was meant to stop an uprising.
"The state decided on a lockdown last week acting on the basis of information and threats, which civilians will never know unless informed," Mr Charamba said.
However, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa linked the military activities to the ongoing lockdown to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
"As much as our president has opened the economy, we will make sure that we adhere to the containment measures, otherwise the disease will spread," Mrs Mutsvangwa said.
The military activities coincided with threats of protests by civil servants over salary cuts, and health workers from one of the largest referral hospitals staged a peaceful protest over poor work conditions.
