Zimbabwe price protests

A one-day strike in August was proclaimed a success

Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has said it plans to organise a mass protest against the rising cost of living.

The MDC calls upon everyone to gear up for a national protest action

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai

The announcement comes a day after angry commuters rioted in a suburb of the capital, Harare, to protest at dramatic fare increases.

Zimbabwe's economy is struggling, with a foreign currency crisis, rampant inflation and continuing fuel shortages.

Public transport fares increased by up to 100% last week, after the government announced fuel prices rises of about 50%.

Paraffin - used by most homes for cooking and heating - also doubled in price for the second time in two months.

Arrests

Police said dozens of youths assaulted bus drivers and taxi drivers at a Budriro shopping centre on Tuesday, after accusing them of overcharging.

Petrol prices go up, but the shortages remain

Four suspected assailants were arrested.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was reported in Wednesday's edition of Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, as saying that protests were now back on the agenda.

"We have reached a stage where people must act on a massive scale," he said.

"The MDC calls upon everyone to gear up for a national protest action."

'Out of control'

He said it was pointless to expect "by some miracle" that the economy would improve.

"The general economic mismanagement is unacceptable, there is no rule of law and we have a government which is out of control," he said.

During June's parliamentary election campaign, President Robert Mugabe promised to introduce sweeping price controls.

A one-day strike in early August, called by trade unions to protests at a collapse of law and order, succeeded in paralysing business and farm activities across Zimbabwe.