Army: We didn't beat up dealers
2008-12-02 16:08
Special Report
A judge says allegations the main witness was tortured can be raised in Roy Bennett's trial that has shaken Zimbabwe's coalition government.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he doesn't expect the US sanctions on his country to be lifted soon.
Harare - Zimbabwe's national army on Tuesday denied sending troops into the capital to beat up foreign currency dealers and blamed undisciplined forces for the violence.
Soldiers clashed with foreign currency dealers on Monday in Harare's central business district, which degenerated into a looting binge in several shops, in which soldiers were accused of participating.
"Whatever is happening is not the official position of the army," army spokesperson Colonel Simon Tsatsi said.
"We don't subscribe to that (beating foreign currency dealers and looting). It's probably just a few small numbers of indisciplined soldiers who are doing this."
"All efforts are being put in place that there is order, our military police and the police are on the ground to put law and order," Tsatsi added.
There was no immediate police reaction.
An AFP journalist said the scene was calm on Tuesday morning, but with fewer traders on the streets than normal.
Black market foreign currency peddling has become rampant in Zimbabwe as the country battles food and chronic currency shortages with inflation at a staggering 231 million percent.
Currency restrictions have led to long queues outside banks, with some depositors sleeping on the streets just to be at the front.
While the currency, once on a par with the British pound, is in freefall, unemployment is a staggering 80%.
In September, the reserve bank licensed some shops to sell goods in foreign currency in a bid to curb the burgeoning black market in basic commodities.
- AFP