Zimbabweans are in a chokehold - Tsitsi Dangarembga

Acclaimed author Tsitsi Dangarembga, who was arrested then bailed after taking part in planned anti-government protests in Zimbabwe, says many people are struggling to survive.

In an interview at her home in Harare with Reuters news agency, Dangarembga said she saw little choice but to protest because a decent meal and healthcare "are outside the reach of most Zimbabweans".

"It’s like the people of Zimbabwe are in a chokehold."

In an address to the nation after last week's protests, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday accused Western powers of trying to sow dissent in the country.

Dangaremba told Reuters: "When we got into the (police) truck one of the first thing that happened is I was asked 'who is paying you?' I was very outraged by that question."

In a gesture of solidarity with opposition figures and human rights campaigners in Zimbabwe, people worldwide have been sharing social media posts under the hashtag #ZimbabweansLivesMatter.

"Trying to change Zimbabwe for the better is going to be a long engagement and we have to strategise," Dangaremba told Reuters.