Suspected Zanu PF activists go on the rampage in Harare stoning residents and destroying market stalls owned by vendors.
The vendors reportedly hit back leading to the arrest of some of them.
Vendors groups that had running battles with municipal police on Monday who attempted to evict them from their selling points, dissociated themselves from the protest.
National Vendors Union Zimbabwe leader Stan Zvorwadza told VOA Studio 7 that the people who stoned members of the public and destroyed vendors goods worth about $7,000, were linked to President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party.
But Zanu PF Youth League secretary for economic affairs, Tongai Kasukuwere, dismissed claims that the protests were conducted by members of his party.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights (ZimRights) condemned the protests saying they deprived informal traders of a source of income.
In a statement, ZimRights said, “The ploy is suspected to be aimed at denying people the constitutional rights to demonstrate and petition, and freedom of assembly by raising fears of violence.
“In fact, it is now suspected that the group of youths armed with stones were the ones behind the burning of vendors’ properties after an earlier clash between vendors and the municipal police.”