There are running battles in Norton right now after riot police teargassed a rally by independent candidate Temba Mliswa in which the opposition MDC-T had mobilised thousands of their supporters to come and support him.
MDC Vice President Nelson Chamisa said they had “mobilised thousands of their supporters to go and support Mliswa”, but riot police with the help of Zanu PF youths came and violently disrupted the planned rally at Norton Ngoni Stadium.
Chamisa said a vehicle he was a passenger in and another one belonging to Mliswa had been damaged in the commotion. Despite a court order allowing the rally to go ahead, Chamisa said it appeared Zanu PF was determined to disrupt the rally.
The riot police are going around Norton randomly beating up people at shopping centres and beerhalls.
Several eye witnesses told us the attack by the police was unprovoked. Angry MDC supporters are said to have retaliated and began throwing the teargas canisters back at the riot police. The police responded by calling in reinforcements including water canons.
Mliswa is running as an independent candidate in the Norton by-election, a seat that fell vacant after War Vets leader Christopher Mutsvangwa was expelled from Zanu PF for allegedly denigrating President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace.
More details as we get them