Zimbabwe crackdown a sign of things to come, says Mnangagwa spokesperson
Rights groups and lawyers fear a brutal return to authoritarianism
Harare — A crackdown on protests in Zimbabwe last week is a foretaste of how the government will respond to future unrest, says the president’s spokesperson, fuelling concerns that the country is reverting to authoritarian rule. Police say three people died during protests over fuel price hikes in Harare and Bulawayo that turned violent. But human rights groups say evidence suggests at least a dozen people were killed while scores were treated for gunshot wounds. The government would not stand by "while such narrow interests played out so violently. The response so far is just a foretaste of things to come”, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba. Charamba told the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper the government would review some provisions of the constitution adopted in 2013, which he said were being abused by proponents of democracy. Lawyers and activists say hundreds of Zimbabweans were detained last week accused of public order offences, including...
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