HARARE Zimbabwe (Xinhua) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Friday held a farewell ceremony for 50 students who are going to undertake undergraduate studies at a Chinese university.
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The state-funded Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission has said that police violated the rights of Zimbabweans during recent protests in an unprecedented slap on the wrist for President Robert Mugabe’s government.
Zimbabwe police say they arrested 67 people following a violent protest that rocked the capital, Harare, as the president warned against an Arab Spring type of revolution.
Zimbabwean police on Friday fired teargas to disperse anti-government supporters gathering in a square in the capital Harare ahead of a planned protest calling for electoral reform, a Reuters witness said.
Police were determined to crush protests.
Zimbabwean riot police clash with protesters during a demonstration against the introduction of bond notes by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, in Harare, Aug. 17, 2016.
“I am sure this thrust to China is going to be very important and perhaps one of the largest thrusts of our scholarship program in the future”, Mugabe said.
The so-called mega demonstration had been organized by 18 opposition political parties, including the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the Zimbabwe People First, which was formed by former Vice President Joice Mujuru.
In a separate interview, an officer with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said he was no longer taking orders from his superiors when it came to arresting civilians suspected of instigating violent protests.
The protesters responded to the clampdown by throwing stones at the police while some set tyres ablaze and others pulled down the sign for a street named after Mugabe.
“We view this as victory for democracy”, opposition spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said after the court ruling.
Home affairs minister Ignatius Chombo on Thursday accused Western countries of plotting the protests.
Official media blames what it calls opposition “hooligans”. Most of all, more and more Zimbabweans are saying they’re exhausted of the man who got them to this place, the man who has ruled the country for more than 35 years: President Mugabe.
“Really this is because of bad governance, poor management by the state and also rampant corruption”, he said.
“It is noted with regret that the police did violate the fundamental rights of the people as evidenced by the facts gathered on the ground”, a statement issued on Sunday read.
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“The opposition supporters are saying Friday’s protest is not the end”, said Al Jazeera’s Mutasa.
