Soldiers patrol deserted Harare in wake of deadly chaos

17 January 2019 - 07:00
By Ray Ndlovu
A soldier walks past a burning barricade in Harare, Zimbabwe, January 15 2019.
Image: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo A soldier walks past a burning barricade in Harare, Zimbabwe, January 15 2019.

The streets of Harare were mostly deserted on Wednesday, the third day of a stayaway to protest against the huge petrol price increase.

While this sharply contrasted with the deadly clashes in the capital and in Bulawayo on Monday, soldiers and police were reportedly patrolling Harare townships and assaulting people in their homes, a tactic used by former president Robert Mugabe’s security services.