Zimbabwe police and street sellers battle in capital

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Some shops in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, closed down as running battles between police and street vendors turned violent.

Police on Monday fired teargas to disperse vendors resisting eviction from the central business district, where they clog street pavements and sidewalks.

The vendors fought back, resulting in some shops being stoned in the melee.

Zimbabwe police have stepped up efforts to clear the capital’s downtown of street sellers, but the efforts have often been resisted.

Rising unemployment resulting from mass company closures have forced the majority of people in this economically troubled southern African country to survive on selling on the streets.

At least two-thirds of Zimbabwe’s 14 million people eke out a living through informal trade, according to the African Development Bank.