Zimbabwe: Mugabe bans Facebook, WhatsApp

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has shut down social media sites and popular instant messenger application WhatsApp in a bid to suppress dissenting views.

Mugabe’s move comes in the wake of massive protest that have spread to six towns in the country.

On Monday there was unrest in Harare where Police used teargas to break up protests.

Today, protesters have shut down the country as civil servants have stopped work over unpaid wages while many other Zimbabweans are staying at home in protest against corruption, poverty, and injustice.

However, clashes with the police and arrests have been reported. According to reports, sites like Facebook cannot be accessed even if the user is using high speed internet while WhatsApp has been blocked.

There are fears that the ban will not be lifted soon as government officials have hinted that they will continue blocking some social media sites in order to maintain security.

Earlier this year, Mugabe said there was need to regulate social media in the country as he believes the sites offers Zimbabweans a cheap platform for criticising his government.

Watch  Zimbabwe Police beat up civilians.