Hundreds of residents from one of Zimbabwe’s townships rioted on Wednesday after police destroyed street stalls in an ongoing crackdown on vendors and other illegals in the capital, witnesses said.
Residents used old cars and scrap metal to set up roadblocks along the main road leading into Glen View suburb, a working class area south of the capital.
Protesters also looted a local supermarket, according to witnesses.
Police were trying to disperse the crowd and restore order late on Wednesday.
Rioting began when a street stall housing a popular furniture maker was burned down by police.
Local media reported that police had launched pre-dawn raids on makeshift corner shops and market stalls in the townships, arresting more people as part of its Operation Restore Order.
Police spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka was quoted by the state and private media as saying that 10 114 people have so far been arrested, up from 9 725 arrested since last week, and that the crackdown launched a week ago would continue.
”We will continue to clear such illegal structures and we will not hesitate to arrest anyone involved in any illegal activities country wide,” Mandipaka told the state-run Herald.
About 63 tuck shops and flea markets have been demolished mainly in the capital’s working class suburbs of Mbare, Chitungwiza, Mabvuku, Tafara, Budiriro, Glen View, Glen Norah and even in the shanty suburb of Epworth, according to police.
The operation has been condemned by rights groups as unjustified and brutal.
City of Harare spokesperson Leslie Gwindi on Tuesday said the municipality would also move in immediately to destroy illegal backyard shacks housing hundreds of thousands of people.
”We are with immediate effect dealing with all illegal structures,” Gwindi said.
”Harare has lost its glow. We are determined to bring it back,” said city head Sekesai Makwavarara. – Sapa-AFP