Despite calls by the labour representative body to shut down the country's economic activities for two days to push for a minimum wage of Z$1 million, people reported for work in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and other cities.
All major retail outlets, banks and companies in Harare city centre and light industrial areas were conducting business as usual on Tuesday, albeit with a heavy police presence as the state deployed heavily in anticipation of incidents of violence.
Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, said that there was a peaceful atmosphere in the country with a few isolated incidents in the southern dormitory town Chitungwiza, and Harare suburbs of Budiriro and Dzivarasekwa.
"It is very calm and the situation is normal although we have had some isolated incidents in Unit D, Seke, Budiriro 4 and Dzivarasekwa," he said.
Assistant Commissioner Bvudzijena said they had arrested four people in Dzivarasekwa in connection with the incidents.
He assured the public that the police would remain deployed to ensure that people carried out their day-to-day business without any hindrances.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called for a stayaway to urge the government to address the economic decline, to shelve the National Health Scheme until it consults workers and to address the concern of striking doctors among other reasons.
The government has castigated the ZCTU for its actions, with Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Nicholas Goche, saying that the stayaway was being called to further the union's political agenda, adding that it only paid lip service to the Social Dialogue.
Information and Publicity Minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said stayaways had achieved nothing but to exacerbate the people's suffering.
He added that it was irrational for the labour body to call for a stayaway when the government was doing all it could to address the current economic challenges in the country. ' New Ziana/The Southern Times.
