Award-winning Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga, a nominee for this year’s Booker Prize, has been arrested in the country’s capital, Harare, during an anti-government protest.
Dangarembga, 61, and another protester were bundled into a police lorry while carrying placards.
The government has warned that participation in Friday’s demonstration is regarded as insurrection.
Police and soldiers are patrolling cities where streets are mainly empty.
Opposition parties and civil society organisations had called for protests against alleged government corruption and a deepening economic crisis with inflation running at more than 700%.
But President Emmerson Mnangagwa has accused the opposition of exploiting the country’s economic challenges to topple his government.
Media captionZimbabwe was largely shut down on the day meant for demonstrations against corruption and economic hardships.
An opposition politician who called for the demonstration is in detention, arrested last week and charged with inciting violence.
He remains behind bars, along with prominent investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who was detained at the same time.
In June Chin’ono had exposed an alleged multi-million dollar scandal involving coronavirus supplies – revelations which led to the sacking of the health minister.
Source:Â bbc.com