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Rufaro Samanga
Jan. 14, 2019 06:35AM EST

Hundreds of Zimbabweans are Protesting in Support of the Nationwide Shutdown

The shutdown comes after recent announcements by President Mnangagwa of crippling fuel hikes.

Scores of frustrated Zimbabwean youths have taken to the streets of Bulawayo in protest of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's rule. This protest comes amid several other protests in the country by medical professionals and, more recently, teachers. Zimbabweans are simply fed up with having to eke out a living on a daily basis.

The Bulawayo CBD is now the site of a massive protest. Zimbabweans in Bulawayo have declared a nationwide shutdown with many workers downing their tools in solidarity, and public transport having ground to a halt. Numerous minibus taxis have taken to barricading the main roads. While the protest has largely been peaceful, riot police have been deployed and are attempting to disperse the crowd with teargas.

Watch the footage below of crowds marching through the center of the town.


Since the elections that saw Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over from Robert Mugabes's three-decade long rule last year, Zimbabwe has been in a state of perpetual chaos. Most recently, President Mnangagwa announced that the price of petrol would rise from US$1.24 a liter to $3.31 and diesel from $1.36 a liter to $3.11. Motorists have been queuing up to fill up in what have been reported to be some of the longest queues in the country's history. One frustrated motorist said, "You can't have a country where people sleep in cars for days for a commodity that should be readily available."

While the President is yet to release a statement on the protests, Zimbabweans on Twitter are currently detailing what is happening during the protest.




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In the latest tragedy to come from Cameroon's historically violent clash between Anglo and Francophone citizens, seven children were murdered after attackers stormed a school with guns and machetes over the weekend.

In what has been deemed as the "darkest and saddest day," by Bishop Agapitus Nfon of Kumba, armed attackers stormed the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy, targeting students aged 9 to 12. The tragic event saw dozens of children injured, some critically.

The attack has shocked the nation, with both local and international agencies condemning the horrible offense. On Monday, Cameroonian President Paul Biya denounced the "horrific murder" of the school children, and alluded to the "appropriate measures" being taken in order to bring justice to the families of the victims. Prime Minister Dion Ngute Joseph shared his condolences via a tweet saying, "I bow before the memory of these innocent kids."

The Cameroonian presidency and governing body have blamed Anglophone 'separatists' for the attack, though the group claims no part in the attack.

Human rights groups, however, have blamed both opposing parties, as the conflict has led to the death of over 3,000 deaths and resulted in more than 700,000 Cameroonians fleeing their homes and the country.
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