As Harare was rocked by a second day of anti-government rioting yesterday, pressure mounted on President Robert Mugabe, who is facing a call for his impeachment in parliament this week.
"To Hell with Mugabe", shouted a tall young man as he hurled a rock at a passing police vehicle in the Ardbennie township. "We don't want to see Mugabe anymore."
Thousands of protesters disrupted ordinary business and industry yesterday by erecting barricades across major thorough fares, stoning police vans and other passing vehicles.
Police fanned out across the capital city's sprawling townships shooting tear gas at clusters of people. But as soon as police cleared the roads and moved on, the protester ran back to the streets and set up new roadblocks.
No serious casualties were confirmed yesterday, although the capital is awash with rumours of shootings and deaths.
The riots erupted early Monday in the eastern Mabvuku and Tafara townships where residents angrily protested against higher bus fares and 30 per cent increases in the price of bread and sugar.
The protests were significant for the bitterness and even hatred that rioters displayed towards Mr Mugabe. "This is not just an economic protest, this is political. We want Mugabe out. This is going to grow and it will be massive. We cannot wait until 2002 for Mugabe to go," said one rock thrower, named Tendai, referring to the end of Mr Mugabe's current presidential term.
Zimbabwe's leading opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said it had nothing to do with organising the riots. But the MDC President, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai added to the pressure on Mr Mugabe when he said his party would introduce an impeachment motion in parliament. With 57 of the 150 seats in parliament the party has enough votes to force the start of impeachment proceedings, which could be very damaging to Mr Mugabe.
Mr Tsvangirai said his party would charge that Mr Mugabe has "maliciously abused his office and grossly violated the constitution".