Zimbabwe warns brutal crackdown is "a taste of things to come" | News from the world

The brutal crackdown in Zimbabwe following protests against rising fuel prices is "just a taste of things to come," said the president's spokesman.

The harsh words will make people fear the deterioration of the human rights situation in this poor country of southern Africa, after a week in which police and soldiers beat civilians, shot dead 12 people and arrested at least 600 people, many without charge.

"[The] The government will not allow such narrow interests to defend themselves so violently, "said President Emmerson Mnangagwa's spokesman George Charamba in the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper.

The crackdown followed a nationwide strike by unions after the government ordered a mbadive rise in the price of gasoline eight days ago.

Rising prices, about 250%, is the latest shock for millions of citizens increasingly unable to buy commodities such as fuel, food and medicine.

Inflation is 40% – its highest rate since hyperinflation forced Zimbabwe to abandon its currency 10 years ago in favor of dollars, electronic cash and "bonds" issued by the central bank.

Violence is the worst Zimbabwe has seen in a decade, pushing hard to make comparisons with the worst days of 37-year rule of former autocratic president Robert Mugabe.

The government described the unrest as "terrorism" and blamed the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mnangagwa, a pillar of the ruling party within Zanu-PF, took power when Mugabe was ousted during an army takeover in November 2017, before winning disputed elections last year.

On Sunday, the president, who was touring Central Asia, Russia and Europe with the aim of generating investment for the country's economy, said he would return to Zimbabwe instead of participating in the World Economic Forum. week in Davos.

"Given the economic situation, I will go home … The first priority is to restore calm, stability and recovery in Zimbabwe," said Mnangagwa. tweeted.

The Zimbabwean Association of Physicians for Human Rights reported handling 68 gunshot wounds and more than 100 other cases of "badault with sharp objects, barefoot, baton sticks" last week.

Further violence took place over the weekend, as army and police patrols raided hundreds of houses in Harare, the capital, in search of stolen property during the week-long looting. last.

A large number of people are still missing – including union officials involved in organizing the three-day shutdown.

Armed police also reportedly surrounded the houses of senior officials and parliamentarians of the MDC.

Chalton Hwende, MDC representative in Kuwadzana East, a poor neighborhood in the suburbs of Harare, said six opposition lawmakers were already in detention. Some were accused of inciting violence, although the party was careful to call for peaceful demonstrations and did not participate in organizing the closure.

"All this is just an excuse to destroy the MDC. Mugabe was just the face of the machine. We were still expecting things to get worse, "Hwende said.

Much of the repression has been concentrated in the poor neighborhoods and satellite towns of Harare, such as Chitungwiza and Ruwa, which strongly voted for the MDC in the July elections.

On Saturday, a series of funerals brought hundreds of people to the streets. Neighbors of a 35-year-old gunshot on the second day of repression described [people] watch over the family of the deceased ".

Kelvin Tinashe Choto, 22, was shot in the head while watching the protests in Harare.

"It was our future," said his father, Julius Choto, while his family buried him in Chitungwiza on Saturday. "I was stolen.He was my only son and his future was brilliant.I was stolen by the state."

The end of Mugabe's regime sparked general optimism about the end of the repression of previous decades.

But all hope of political reform has been extinguished. The crisis has provoked strong criticism from Western powers and will undermine Zimbabwe's efforts to join the international community after decades as an outcast.

Mugabe's government left Zimbabwe with huge debts, ruined infrastructure and rising unemployment, especially among young people. Most of its 16 million people live from day to day or survive on remittances from the vast diaspora.

Albert Taurai, hospitalized in Harare, had the fracture of the spine. He had gone to buy food after being attacked by a group of armed men in plain clothes.

They hit him with iron bars on the back, thighs and ankles, saying that "Zimbabwe will never be closed".

"I saw Mugabe and Mnangagwa. It's worse than Mugabe, "said Taurai, 46.