The polls took place amid worsening conditions for majority of Zimbabweans, in an economy long beleaguered by unilateral sanctions. Zimbabwe was cut off from USD 100 billion in grants, loans, and other kinds of support from international and multilateral sources and further lost an estimated USD 42 billion in revenues between 2001 and 2019. 

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and their allies hailed the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe people against the increasingly oppressive rule of president Emmerson Mnangagwa 

The government in Zimbabwe is relying on large scale deployment of security forces to quell the protests sweeping the country, which may turn into a mass uprising. Left forces have however warned that the protests could be hijacked  

The spread of COVID-19 has further exposed an already failing system, leading to an intensified political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. The government, however, seems busy cracking down on critics

Human rights organizations allege that the Zimbabwe government is taking advantage of the lockdown powers to go on a demolition spree, displacing small vendors en masse

The centrist opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for mass protests against the Mnangagwa government but leftist forces warn that they support the same neoliberal policies as the ruling party

The ZANU(PF)-led government of Zimbabwe recently announced that the indigenization rule, which prohibits foreign mining companies from owning 50% or more of the shares,would be scrapped to allow 100% private ownership of platinum mines. The decision was soon extended to diamond mines too

In the aftermath of the crackdown on protests against Emmerson Mnangagwa’s austerity policies, the government faces a crisis of legitimacy even as rumors spread of the army’s role in governance increasing

The over 300,000 civil servants are also demanding that they be paid in US dollars rather than in the bonds introduced by the Zimbabwe government. Teachers and doctors had gone on strike earlier

The attacks on Bulawayo on Tuesday came a day after police killed 5 protesters and injured 26 in Harare. Protests broke out on Monday following a massive fuel hike imposed by the government

Their main demands include a rise in salary from $500 to $3000 and payment in US dollars rather than in bonds. Teachers and doctors in Zimbabwe receive among the lowest pay in the world for their professions

Six people died and 35 were injured in the protests by opposition parties in the aftermath of the elections. While the inquiry commission recommends a probe against soldiers, it does not seek action against the president and others who sanctioned military deployment