A British journalist who was present before, during and after the on 1 August massacre by the military in Harare explains that the so-called protesters who exchanged a stick and teargas battle with police officers dispersed way before soldiers had arrived, and when the military eventually traveled to the area, there was no need for intervention and no protesters in sight. Instead of some riot management work, solders suddenly unleashed automatic fire on innocent shopppers in the central business district.
The account family coincides with LIVE footage ZimEye.com presents.
The Guardian has its own footage from the cruel incident that sawat least 7 people killed.
Last night, another witness, Annah Mubaiwa speaking LIVE on ZimEye.com revealed she was physically inside TV Stores And Hire that afternoon. SEE VIDEO BELOW:
Meanwhile, Guardian journo, Jason Burke wrote of the ongoing commission which this week saw senior officers testifying.
But the senior officers’ testimony, made on Monday, contrasts markedly with the recollection of many witnesses to the violence, which followed scattered confrontations between police and protesters from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) angered by alleged electoral fraud.
The Guardian reveals it: was present before and during the shootings, which occurred as a small number of protesters carrying stones and sticks clashed with riot police armed with teargas and water cannon.
The protesters appeared to be dispersing when the police suddenly withdrew. After a short time, soldiers could be seen moving through the streets of the market area in central Harare pointing their weapons at shoppers, office workers and others. Volleys of automatic fire could also be heard. The Guardian saw patrols of soldiers clearing away panicked pedestrians at gunpoint. The pedestrians fled the area.
TV footage shows soldiers firing repeatedly in the direction of civilians.
Continual and intensive fire from automatic military grade weapons ceased when the streets were almost deserted. Armoured military vehicles appeared shortly afterwards.
Both Sibanda and Sanyatwe suggested that the violence was caused by armed supporters of the opposition.
They provided no evidence to back up the charge, which has been denied by the MDC.
David Coltart, a co-founder of the MDC, said the generals’ denials were “ridiculous”.