At a government-organized job fair attended by hundreds of young Zimbabweans, some limped and others screamed in pain after being trampled or beaten by security officers on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe: stampede at a Job Fair
A security guard uses a baton to control young people at a job fair in Harare, December 6, 2023.
-
Copyright © africanews
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP
Chaos ensued as job seekers rushed to register for potential vacancies, but no serious injuries were reported.
The influx of people illustrated growing distress over a lack of formal jobs in the southern African country of 15 million people, which is hit by long-standing economic problems.
Hundreds of people showed up at the fair in the capital, Harare, with envelopes containing their curriculum vitaes and education certificates. They hoped to be registered in a database of job seekers.
People trampled each other in the rush to get to a large room where registration was taking place. Security officers used batons to restore order, but people continued to advance.
Last month, 31 people died in a stampede during a military recruitment operation at a stadium in the Republic of Congo, as crowds of young people gathered to sign up for the army, one of the few institutions in this country to still offer jobs.