Three people were injured after Bulawayo City Council (BCC) municipal police fired rubber bullets on a group of protesters who were challenging the local authority’s decision to remove illegal vendors operating in the city centre.
The council in partnership with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) descended on the illegal vendors operating along Fifth Avenue on Thursday morning.
BCC security officers allegedly fired rubber bullets at the protesters injuring three.
“The ZRP confirms a shooting incident in which three people were injured after Bulawayo City Council Police fired rubber bullets to disperse a crowd which had gathered to demonstrate against an operation targeting illegal vendors in Bulawayo CBD on 23/01/23 in the morning,” the police said on Twitter.
“The injured are admitted at United Bulawayo Hospitals. More details will be released in due course.”
Some of the illegal vendors led by some Zanu PF officials then marched to the City Hall to protest against the move.
Addressing the protesters at the doorstep of the Large City Hall, ZANU PF Nehanda District Chairman Josiah Mutangi told the illegal vendors to go back to their vending places.
Last month the local authority was forced to postpone its crackdown on illegal vendors in the city centre after police said they were not prepared to handle the magnitude of the exercise.
