This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
Police in Zimbabwe have been accused of adopting heavy-handed tactics reminiscent of the regime of former President Robert Mugabe, who died on September 5, 2018.
On November 20, 2019, Zimbabwean police used batons, tear gas, and water cannons to beat up and disperse supporters of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who had gathered outside the party building in Harare to listen to a speech by their leader, Nelson Chamisa.
According to Reuters witnesses, a few minutes after Chamisa entered the party building, police charged the crowd with batons and fired tear gas, causing a stampede.
The MDC has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of adopting the same tactics as his predecessor, Mugabe. Mnangagwa had defended his record in an opinion piece carried by CNBC Africa, saying his administration was opening up political and media space.
However, police have banned several MDC gatherings this year, citing fears of violence. The opposition party has condemned the police action, calling it 'barbaric brutality'.
Political tension is rising in Zimbabwe, where the population is grappling with a severe economic crisis, including rolling power cuts lasting up to 18 hours a day, and shortages of foreign currency, fuel, and medicines.
