Zimbabwe election clashes kills one, 11 injured
One person died and at least 11 were wounded in violent clashes on the second day of polling in a parliamentary by-election in Zimbabwe today, hospital officials said.
Witnesses said gunshots were heard during voting in the Zengeza district of the dormitory town of Chitungwiza, 20 miles south of Harare.
A hospital official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one person died from gunshot wounds.
Other injuries were caused by iron bars, clubs and stones.
No comment was immediately available from police.
The secretary general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Welshman Ncube, identified the dead man as Francis Chinozvinya, an opposition supporter.
Chinozvinya was shot in the chest as suspected ruling party supporters tried to raid the home of opposition candidate James Makore, Ncube said.
A second opposition supporter was shot in the leg.
The shooting scared voters from nearby polling stations where voting came to a standstill.
Clashes also marred the first day of polling yesterday.
Police said several people from both the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and the ruling Zanu-PF party were arrested, but gave no further details.
Ruling party official Amos Midzi accused opposition members of disrupting polling on the first day.
However, opposition candidate James Makore said his supporters were attacked by militants of Zanu-PF who tried to storm his election headquarters.
The poll in the opposition stronghold was called after opposition lawmaker Tafadzwa Musekiwa fled into self-imposed exile in Britain, claiming he was the victim of politically motivated assaults and death threats.
Musekiwa garnered three times as many votes as the ruling party candidate in the last parliamentary elections in 2000.
The by-election is seen as a test of opposition support in urban districts ahead of national parliament polls next year.
Businessman Christopher Chigumba is running for the ruling party in a district with about 44,000 registered voters.
Results were expected on Monday.
