Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said that the current disturbances rocking parts of the country are due to a "political conspiracy" and he pledged that the government would "ensure an end to such a trend of events", Zimbabwean radio reported on Tuesday night.

Commenting on the two-day disturbances in Harare, Mugabe said the cabinet would soon meet "to decide on the developments in the country".

"President Mugabe said government is not happy with the hiking of corn meal and other basic commodity prices.

He emphasized that the destruction of property is, however, unacceptable," the radio said.

Giving a detailed round-up, the radio said the Zimbabwe National Army had dispatched six armoured vehicles to restore order in Chitungwiza, south of the capital, "following violent food riots which left many people injured and property destroyed in the town".

More than 200 people were arrested in one town following Monday's violent demonstrations against the price hikes, the radio said.

It added that "hundreds of people went on a rampage" in Gweru, south-west of Harare, clashing with riot police, destroying property and looting shops around the city but said that the situation in Bulawayo "was said to be normal, with business opening at usual times."

In another report, the radio said a group of suspected looters caught in Harare were brought to the city's Magistrate Court on Tuesday only to be sent back to prison on remand due to a shortage of magistrates.

"A Zimbabwe Prison Services official says there was no magistrate to try the suspected looters at the courts because of the disturbances caused by the riots", the radio reported.

BBC Monitoring(http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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