Zimbabwe election: Army patrols 'ghost town' Harare
Channel: WORLD WIDE NEWS
Date: 2018-08-02

Armed soldiers and police are on patrol, ordering people to "behave".

Three people were killed in the city on Wednesday in clashes between the security forces and supporters of opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Mr Chamisa says Monday's elections were being rigged to give President Emmerson Mnangagwa victory.

The elections were the first since long-time ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted in November.
The polls were intended to set Zimbabwe on a new path following Mr Mugabe's repressive rule.

However, Mr Chamisa's MDC Alliance has accused the military of using excessive force to quell Wednesday's protests.
The polls were intended to set Zimbabwe on a new path following Mr Mugabe's repressive rule.

However, Mr Chamisa's MDC Alliance has accused the military of using excessive force to quell Wednesday's protests
Mr Mnangagwa said the government was in talks with Mr Chamisa to defuse the crisis and proposed an independent investigation to bring those who were behind the violence to justice.

"This land is home to all of us, and we will sink or swim together," Mr Mnangagwa said in a series of tweets.
'No skulduggery'
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has declared Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party the winner of the parliamentary election, with a two-thirds majority.

It has not released presidential election results, saying party agents were still verifying the result and there was "absolutely no skulduggery".

Zec confirmed its website had been hacked, saying it took it down "within 11 minutes" of the attack.

Zanu-PF, which has been in power since the country gained its independence 38 years ago, also denies there has been any rigging.

Shops are closed and shutters are down as the centre of Zimbabwe's capital braces itself for more trouble.

There is no sign yet of any organised protest by opposition supporters
President Mnangagwa has blamed the violence on the MDC Alliance and has now promised an independent investigation.

But the issue at the heart of the trouble has yet to be resolved - the outcome of the presidential election which the opposition is convinced is being rigged.

Foreign observers are pressuring the electoral commission to announce the results quickly - and to address concerns about fraud by being transparent about the entire process.