The riots started on Monday morning, but unfortunately I was in hospital. When I was at Harare Hospital I saw the people coming in injured, you know. They said there was a strike, that people were being beaten, some are being shot not by the police. As can be seen from the above testimonies, there is general concurrence about the beginnings, and some of these eyewitnesses corroborate the newspaper reports. For example, the looting of the Coca-Cola truck and the Bata shoe store are reported by these persons. The interviews also give an idea of the scale of the riots, and the ways in which the life of the whole city was disrupted. As the person who was in hospital on the Monday pointed out: So when we were out, there were no cars, or buses to take us to town, from Harare Hospital. I was in pain that I slept outside waiting for anything which might came, till 7 o’clock. There was a combi that was saying “town, town” So my mother helped in that car, and we take him to town. It was quiet in town. All the streets were full of stones and the stones and things were put on the road blocking the traffic getting in town. So we had to walk from there to get another bus to Mabvuku. We walked and it was quiet, and the police are saying, “Go home, we don’t want people here!” was late, half past 8 you know, so we had to look for a bus. Fortunately there was a bus to Mabvuku. They said “We can’t go in because the roads are blocked, and the people are burning buses, the combis, everything … there wasn’t thing getting into there.” Others pointed out that life continued to be disrupted during the week, not merely on the Monday. That, on Tuesday, I come here, and I opened and I closed early because the situation was out of hand. People were still grouping. Some would come and attack the shops. So no one was supposed to be seen. So, Tuesday night, that’s when the soldiers started coming to the houses, at night. Then what did you get from the shops, whenever you were seen with anything from the shops they were going to take that and you as well. So, they came and knocked the doors, at my place it was around 12.30 in the evening. They were searching the whole house. If there would find anything they would take you out, then they would… the police would come and collect those people and their items, and take them to the police station. So, on,… this happened on Tuesday, wed they were busy searching every house. The events It is evident from the interviews that the riots had an enormous impact throughout the suburb, and also an equal impact upon the people living there. I saw a scene of devastation, a scene of chaos…, the police were out of control. That was fairly obvious, and they didn’t know what to do and they were thrashing around and grabbing just anybody. There was no clear police plan. The police were… innocent people, I presume, were just thrown into trucks for being there. There was no proof that anyone had rioted. Some people, like me, had just come to see. Or came to see if they could help. And then, of course, tear gas people back too. There was a lot of tear gas in the air so that’s really it…. My limit… because my people kept on begging us not to go to the townships, they said, ‘They‘ll burn the car. People are so angry they are just coming at anyone. That’s about it, the limit of my involvement.” The disturbances continued on the following day, Tuesday, as several of the interviewees pointed out. On Tuesday afternoon there was another man who took a leg of meat and he run with it. Some other women took some beer, Chibuku, they run with them. Some took some sugar, cooking oil, salt, and so many things, and the police came and took them to the police. And then, on Wednesday I didn’t see anything. I didn’t walk, I was still at home. And the shops, all the shops were closed from Monday up to Wednesday. Ah, they