Militants of Zimbabwe's former ruling ZANU-PF party were said to have raided supermarkets in Bulawayo and seized imported foodstuffs in the name of indigenization, leaving neighborhoods in the country's second-largest city short on basic goods.
The Bulawayo branch of the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai issued a statement saying ZANU-PF supporters were mainly cleaning out supermarket supplies of maize meal, a Zimbabwean stape food.
The statement said ZANU-PF militants were loading trucks with looted goods.
Bulawayo resident Raymond Phiri told VOA Studio 7 reporter Chris Gande that most shops have run out of imported foodstuffs which are cheaper than most local brands.
The US-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network reported this week that while food is readily available in Zimbabwe, many families lack the money to meet their needs.