Armed military personnel and trucks maintained a heavy presence in residential suburbs as schools, most shops and banks remained closed despite the end of a three-day national stayaway.
Soldiers and police officers had to escort a few buses ferrying commuters in a bid to guarantee their safety, particularly buses ferrying civil servants.
The move followed pledges by government that they would ensure the safety of commuters going to work and those going about their business would do so freely.
In the morning, NewsDay witnessed government buses being manned by heavily armed uniformed police officers, who stood by the door as the employees disembarked. There was a heavy presence of the army at most pick-up points for commuters.
The nationwide protests, sparked by fuel price increases, have resulted in loss of life and property as running battles between the police and the protesters spilled out of control.
The military also maintained a heavy presence in residential suburbs like Epworth and Chitungwiza, where there were reports of intimidation and wanton beating up of people in their homes.
Military trucks patrolled high-density areas, with few commuter omnibuses operating, while tension remained high among ordinary people, as most of them did not report for duty after the national shutdown.
At Warren Park D shops, more than 20 armed soldiers were seen roaming the shopping centre and keeping a close eye on citizens who had gone for either beer drinking or shopping at the few shops that had opened.
It was the same at Kuwadzana 2 and at Queensdale Shopping Centre, as most businesses opened, but only for a few hours.
In the city centre, a few shops were opened, while most banks remained closed for fear of the violence that rocked some parts of the country as Zimbabweans demonstrated over the deteriorating economy.
