Chaos breaks out in Harare as post-vote tensions escalate
Police fired teargas at MDC Alliance supporters on Wednesday as tensions escalated in the capital‚ Harare.
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Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change opposition party of Nelson Chamisa demonstrate outside the party's headquarters as they await results of general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)
Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa carry stones as they block the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Zimbabwean police (Reuters)
Police fired teargas at MDC Alliance supporters on Wednesday as tensions escalated in the capital‚ Harare.
Supporters of Nelson Chamisa said he was the rightful president of the country following the elections that took place on Monday. They chanted that we “will defend our vote” as they dug in‚ ramping up their refusal to accept the early results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
The ZEC results on Wednesday showed that Zanu PF was headed for a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Roads were blocked with stones near the Zanu PF headquarters and youths carrying sticks chanted songs in support of Chamisa.
Fires were started on roads near the headquarters‚ any many protesters threw stones at a nearby billboard of President Emmerson Mnangagwa‚
Shops in the CBD were forced to close early amid the chaos.. Motorists also had to change course on roads to avoid the mob.
“We have to close early; it’s a directive from headquarters because of what is happening in the city today‚” said a bank manager.
In the weeks leading up to voting day‚ the MDC Alliance said it would not accept a vote that did not declare Chamisa as president.
This is a developing story.
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Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party of Nelson Chamisa sing and dance as they march on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Police officers keep watch over supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party of Nelson Chamisa as they march on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance as they march in the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko )
Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change opposition party of Nelson Chamisa demonstrate outside the party's headquarters as they await results of general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)
Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change opposition party of Nelson Chamisa demonstrate outside the party's headquarters as they await results of general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)
FILE IMAGE : A supporter of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party of Nelson Chamisa gestures to the riot police as they march on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
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