Police were determined to crush protests.
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Armed Zimbabwean Riot Police confront a protestor during a demonstration in Harare, Friday, August, 26, 2016.
“The opposition supporters are saying Friday’s protest is not the end”, said Al Jazeera’s Mutasa.
The move by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was unconstitutional as later affirmed by the High Court and going forward, the force must not be allowed to act in such a partisan manner.
“We join many Zimbabweans in their deep concern over reports of violence during some of the protests”.
Mugabe has also previously called retired Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube, who was an outspoken critic of his rule, a half-wit and a liar.
Police in the Zimbabwean capital Harare fired tear gas and used water cannon Friday to disperse opposition demonstrators who had gathered to demand free and fair elections scheduled to be held in 2018.
At least 50 people were injured by the police, said former vice president Joice Mujuru, now the head of the People First party and a participant in the demonstration.
“If we needed people to just go to Brazil to sing our national anthem and hoist our flag, we would have sent some of the attractive girls and handsome guys from University of Zimbabwe to represent us, ” he said.
While the USA embassy said it supported non-violent demonstrations, it did not condemn the violence instigated by opposition elements over the last few months that led to the destruction of property.
Usually bustling with hawkers, the capital’s streets Friday were bristling with police wielding batons and tear gas canisters.
But an official from Mr Mujuru’s party, Didymus Mutasa, claimed police disobeyed it and also blamed officers for the violence. Other police have mounted roadblocks on roads leading into the city.
The government on Thursday warned it would clamp down heavily on any protests.
Last week, similar tactics were deployed when demonstrators took to the streets to voice their concerns about the introduction of new bank notes in Zimbabwe, planned for the autumn.
A few dozen supporters, who earlier chanted anti-Mugabe slogans, threw rocks at the police and burned tyres on the roadside near the square where the protest was due to start.
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“Regime change is going to fail”, said Chombo in a telephone interview. “Public protests have become a rare occurrence in Zimbabwe, but there have been a spate of demonstrations in recent months demanding that President Mugabe stands down over economic mismanagement, non-payment of salaries and a chronic shortage of cash”.
