#ZimShutDown2016 leaves streets and malls deserted

Most shops and banks closed and the streets of Harare were deserted Wednesday as Zimbabweans staged a national protest against the government.

Zimbabweans largely stayed indoors in a national "stay-away" day known as Shutdown Zimbabwe 2016.

Activists called for citizens to stay away from work, hoping to force the government to address the nation's economic meltdown.

The shutdown comes as teachers, doctors and nurses strike to protest unpaid June salaries.

President Robert Mugabe, 92, has ruled the country since it gained independence in 1980.

The nation's economy collapsed in February 2009 and the currency became virtually worthless. Soon after, the country adopted a multicurrency system dominated by the U.S. dollar.

On Wednesday, the empty streets created a sense of unease. "We stayed home because we feared that if [we] walk to town, we might find it difficult walking back or get stranded there given that on Monday it turned violent," said Silas Nharo, who lives about 30 kilometers southeast of Harare, the nation's capital.

At most schools, pupils could be seen playing unattended, because teachers declined to report for duty.

"Our patience has been strained. Our members are hungry and angry. Government cannot say it is broke given its high level [of] opulence, while our members are suffering," said Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe police said Wednesday that about 50 people had been arrested in connection with the protests. That included an Australian national, police said.

News Courtesy: www.cnn.com