Thousands of Youths Riot in Zambia Over 100% Rise in Price of Corn Meal
Thousands of youths rioted Tuesday in the northern mining town of Kitwe, attacking police and looting stores to protest a 100% increase in the price of corn meal, witnesses said.
South African radio quoted the Zambian news agency ZANA as saying that three people were killed, but there was no independent confirmation of any deaths.
The British Broadcasting Corp., quoting announcements from the government-controlled radio station in Lusaka, reported that President Kenneth D. Kaunda had imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the northern copper-mining region.
It added that Home Affairs Minister Cosmas Chibanda had ordered the borders closed to people wanting to leave Zambia but not those wanting to enter.
Kaunda, seeking improved relations with the International Monetary Fund, has introduced tough economic reforms over the past year in an effort to restore this Central African nation’s credibility with trading partners, investors and creditors.
The reforms led to a sharp devaluation of Zambia’s currency and a rapid rise in the cost of living.
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