Zimbabwean police shoots two people dead during clash with minibus drivers

Yesterday, Zimbabwean police said they had shot two people dead and injured four others during a confrontation in the capital Harare over a ban on commuter minibuses in the city centre.

City authorities on Thursday banned minibuses from using pick-up points in central Harare in a move to tackle traffic congestion, angering both drivers and passengers.  The ban was reversed within hours by the government, but police had already been deployed to implement it.

“I wish to announce the death of two people in a very unfortunate and regrettable incident on 22 February. As the (unbanning) directive was given, the police and other security agencies were still in the middle of the operation enforcing the ban and unaware of the cancellation. Police officers fired shots that unfortunately killed two people and injured four others” police commissioner general Godwin Matanga told journalists.

He said three police officers were seriously injured and three police cars were badly damaged in violent clashes that followed the shooting.