Three people were shot dead and many injured when Zimbabwean security forces cracked down on protests, the Movement for Democratic Change said on Tuesday
“The information we have received is that two people were shot dead in Chitungwiza (on the outskirts of Harare) and one person in Kadoma (town),” MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume told AFP.
“This is needless loss of lives. Many have been injured, some of them seriously.”
He gave no further details.
The streets of the capital, Harare, were deserted yesterday, a day after violent demonstrations when public anger erupted over Zimbabwe’s worsening economic crisis.
Most shops remained closed and minibus taxis that usually transport workers from the suburbs to the city centre were not running.
The government more than doubled petrol prices at the weekend after months of shortages when drivers have had to queue for hours to fill up.
Essentials such as bread and medicines have also been scarce.
In a televised address on Saturday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the fuel price hike, saying it was needed to tackle severe shortages and “rampant” illegal trading.
Mnangagwa took over from the longtime ruler and autocrat Robert Mugabe following a military takeover in 2017, before winning a disputed election in July.
Currently, on a tour of European countries, Mnangagwa will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.
On Monday, the police dispersed hundreds of protesters who burnt tyres, erected barricades and looted businesses on the first day of a three-day general strike.