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brutalised at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre in Harare.
The cops had gone to investigate an illegal meeting which MDC-T youths were holding at the shopping centre.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri last night confirmed the death of the Inspector, who was commander of the Police Reaction Group.
“Yes, there was an illegal rally in Glen View and police details went to inquire what was happening. It is in the process that the suspected rowdy MDC-T youths started attacking the policemen with stones and other objects.
“During the attack, one of the officers was hit and fell unconscious and was pronounced dead on arrival at Harare Central Hospital. We cannot release the name of the officer as we are yet to inform his next of kin,” said Supt Phiri.
Shops were closed for hours as shop owners feared the rowdy youths would start looting.
The youths reportedly attacked the policemen with steel chairs and stones.
The condition of the other policeman could not be ascertained last night.
It is said the party youths occasionally hold meetings in front of Munyarari Nightclub at the shopping centre.
It could also not be established last night whether police had made any arrests or not.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora confirmed that there were skirmishes at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre involving his party supporters.
“I received something like that. Our preliminary investigations indicate that the police attacked patrons at a bar,” he said.
However, sources at the shopping centre told The Herald that rowdy MDC-T youths, some of them clad in party regalia, attacked the policemen with stones after they went to check on the meeting.
The sources said one of the policemen was hit by a chair in the head before the youths started kicking him while he lay unconscious.
“The youths usually meet at that bar, but today (yesterday) when they had gathered police came trying to disperse them.
“It is in the process that we saw the youths attacking the officers. We do not know who provoked who? One of them was hit by a chair until it broke while the other one was hit by a big stone.
“One cop fell unconscious and the group mobbed him and started kicking him,” said the source.
The mob reportedly dispersed after hearing that a police reinforcement was on its way.
When The Herald visited the shopping centre yesterday evening, most shops were still closed with owners fearing their property could be damaged and goods looted.
“As you can see, most shops have been closed, we are even afraid because we don’t know what will happen next,” said a source. MDC-T’s culture of violence is well documented.

Besides unleashing an orgy of violence to police officers executing their constitutional mandate, the party youths have in so many cases been accused of attacking Zanu-PF officials and its supporters.
In some cases the violence has also been targeted at some MDC-T officials at the behest of some senior party officials itching to settle scores with their party rivals.
The MDC-T youths have been accused of petrol bombing Marimba Police Station in Harare, Sakubva Police Station in Mutare and Mkoba Police Station in Gweru, leaving some policemen and women battling for their lives.
MDC leader Professor Welshman Nucbe also tasted his former party’s violence when he was manhandled by the youths before the MDC split into two formations.
The party’s youths severely beat former senior official and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Senegal, Ms Trudy Stephenson in 2006, leaving her for dead.
Recently, the party youths severely assaulted mourners at Warren Hill Cemetery and disrupted burials.
According to a recent police report, the MDCT was fingered as tops in perpetrating violence in the country as the party prepared for its congress that was held in Bulawayo in April.
There was serious intra-party violence as there were skirmishes in nearly all the party’s 12 provinces as people fought each other over seats at the congress. The MDC-T vice President Ms Thokozani Khupe’s body guards were accused of assaulting supporters during meetings in Bulawayo to choose provincial chairman.
During the congress, the MDC-T leader, Mr Tsvangirai admitted the existence of intra-party violence and pledged to set up a commission to deal with the matter.
However, up to now nothing has been done.
On Friday, New Ziana reports that Mr Tsvangirai also admitted the culture of violence in his party.
Speaking during a ceremony to launch his party’s “Zimbabwe Panel of Elders,” which is chaired by Professor Gordon Chavunduka, Mr Tsvangirai said MDC-T was engulfed in violence amidst intense jostling for influential positions by its members.
“Even in my own party violence erupts here and there as people contest for political positions,” he said.