Bulawayo- Reports coming Zimbabwe’s second largest city Bulawayo suggest that Police officers fired gunshots to disperse a crowd of Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) supporters who had stormed Bulawayo Central Police Station protesting over the alleged harassment of their leader Mqondisi Moyo by state security agents.
At least 10 protesters are reported to have been arrested while others were injured.
Police and army officers in civilian clothing reportedly raided Moyo’s home Tuesday night with the intention of arresting him. However, Moyo was not there during the raid.
In retaliation, the MRP supporters besieged the Bulawayo Central Police Station Wednesday morning.
On arrival, the activists, travelling in a white truck branded with MRP’s logos, started singing and dancing at the police station’s driveway entrance.
They went on to burn tyres in front of the police station and threw stones at the building and police officers.
The police, shocked by the actions, took almost 30 minutes to react before they fired gunshots at the crowd, which immediately dispersed.
Speaking from his hideout, Moyo claimed the shots were live.
“Khethani Nxebalendonda Ndlovu has been shot on the left leg with live bullets. So far, 10 of our members have been arrested,” said the MRP president.
.On Monday, Mthwakazi members raided a Tabas Induna Farm in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North province where they tried to evict Floyd Ambrose from the property accusing him of forcibly taking it from a white farmer, Brian Davies. Ambrose is son-in-law to former Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
