Zimbabwe 'shuts down' as citizens embark on strike

Zimbabweans have embarked on a nation-wide strike which has led to some cities across the country shutting down on Wednesday.

The protest was called by activists to put pressure on the government, which is said to be responsible for the country’s deteriorating economic situation.

POWERFUL! 👊 Zimbabweans standing together against “corruption, injustice & poverty”. #ThisFlag #ZimShutDown2016 pic.twitter.com/DFFbix0LIJ

— Leandri J van Vuuren (@Lean3JvV) July 6, 2016

Many Zimbabweans stayed at home while foreign banks and most businesses in the capital Harare shut down operations turning the city into a ghost town.

The strike is been led by a social media movement under the hashtag #ThisFlag to protest rampant and runaway corruption by the government.

Bulawayo is the real MVP!!! I believe them👏🙌……. #ZimShutDown2016 pic.twitter.com/B0A0F7sSUZ

— BeardDrogo (@Mr_SuitUp) July 6, 2016

On Tuesday, civil workers started a strike to demand unpaid salaries which has been caused by a chronic cash shortage.

The southern African nation has been gripped by a devastating drought and an acute shortage of cash that has angered its citizens.

Zimbabwe’s worsening economic difficulties has also seen the country’s trade deficit widen to 3.3 billion US dollars in 2015 from 400 million a decade ago.