Clashes between supporters of Zimbabwe’s ruling party and the opposition killed one person and wounded at least 11 during the second day of polling in a parliamentary by-election on Sunday.
Witnesses said gunfire was heard during voting early Sunday in the town of Chitungwiza, 20 miles south of Harare. A hospital official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one person died from gunshot wounds. Other injuries were caused by iron bars, clubs and stones.
Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, identified the dead man as Francis Chinozvinya, an opposition supporter.
Chinozvinya was shot in the chest as suspected ruling party supporters tried to raid the home of opposition candidate James Makore, Ncube said.
A second opposition supporter was shot in the leg.
The shooting frightened people from nearby polling stations, and voting came to a standstill.
Police had no immediate comment on the violence.
Clashes also marred the first day of polling on Saturday.
Police said several people from both the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and the ruling ZANU PF party were arrested Saturday, but they gave no further details.
Ruling party official Amos Midzi accused opposition members of disrupting polling on the first day. However, opposition candidate James Makore said his supporters were attacked by militants of the governing ZANU-PF party who tried to storm his election headquarters on Saturday.
The poll in the opposition stronghold was called after opposition lawmaker Tafadzwa Musekiwa fled to Britain, claiming he was the victim of politically motivated assaults and death threats.
Musekiwa garnered three times as many votes as the ruling party candidate in the last parliamentary elections in 2000. The by-election is seen as a test of opposition support in urban districts ahead of national parliament polls next year.
Businessman Christopher Chigumba is running for the ruling party in a district with about 44,000 registered voters. Results were expected Monday.
