Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised on Tuesday to investigate a brutal crackdown by security forces on anti-government protesters, as two of his supporters spoke of a possible plot to remove him from office.
Lawyers and activists say police and soldiers have killed at least a dozen people, wounded scores and arrested hundreds since demonstrations began nine days ago following a one hundred and fifty percent hike in the price of fuel.
Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) accused security forces of systematic torture. In his first public comments since cutting short a foreign trip, Mnangagwa said violence by security forces was “unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe.” He also said that the hike in the price of fuel that triggered the demonstrations had been necessary.
The price rises were meant to tackle fuel shortages, but mean that Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com.
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