Harare, Zimbabwe – Rising political tensions in the Southern African nation have spawned fears of post-election violence among residents in the capital Harare, as ballot tabulation continues a day after voting ended.
Zimbabwe held general elections on Wednesday and Thursday, pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa against Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change, the main opposition party.
Residents of Harare’s sprawling high-density suburbs such as Budiriro, Glen View, Highfield, Mufakose and Kuwadzana — as well as urban centres like Chitungwiza — had virtually locked themselves indoors by 6pm as anxieties gripped the nation. Only a handful of people were seen sauntering home.
“It’s like there is a 6pm curfew,” Anesu Munodawafa, a Kuwadzana resident, said.
Zimbabwe has a history of both pre- and post-election violence, which has fed concerns that government authorities would use force to quell any protests, particularly from the opposition.
The Citizens Coalition for Change has already indicated it believes it won this week’s presidential election. Early polls showed the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), in a tight race with the coalition.
Original from www.aljazeera.com