Harare - Zimbabwe's mobile phone networks and internet were partially shut down on Tuesday following protests, with one industry source saying the systems had been jammed and many users complaining of limited access.
"The telecom systems have been jammed. We don't have the equipment to do it -- so you can guess who did it," the employee at a Zimbabwe mobile service provider in Harare told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The streets of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, were deserted Tuesday after demonstrations against a government hike in fuel prices turned violent, an AFP correspondent said.
Most shops remained closed and minibus taxis that usually transport workers from the suburbs to the city centre were scarce.
In Kuwadzana suburb, police were on patrol and appeared to be forcing people off the streets.
One resident, Tawanda Mataya, said he and his 17-year-old son had been beaten up by police.
"It's so painful," Mataya told AFP showing swellings on his back.
"I was standing at my gate to assess whether I could go to work then this group of police who were passing by started beating me.
"My son who heard me screaming and opened the window to see what was happening was slapped several times."
In a televised address late Saturday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced fuel prices would more than double, saying the hike was needed to tackle severe shortages and "rampant" illegal trading.
The police used tear gas on Monday in Harare and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, to disperse hundreds of protesters who burnt tyres, erected barricades and looted businesses on the first day of a three-day general strike.
Security Minister Owen Ncube said the security action caused "loss of life" without giving figures on the number of dead and wounded.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said 13 people had sustained gunshot wounds in and around Harare on Monday.
At least 200 people were arrested during the disturbances. On Tuesday morning the Twitter account of the Ministry of Information said that "public order has been restored."
The Zimbabwe Trade Union Confederation (ZCTU), for its part, reiterated its call to strike.
"Today it's day two of the Shutdown. We urge workers and citizens everywhere to stay at home. Don't give the violent a chance to harm you," ZCTU tweeted.
"Our struggle is genuine and there must be economic reforms for the poor to survive."
Mnangagwa took over from long-time ruler and autocrat Robert Mugabe following a military takeover in 2017, before winning a disputed election in July.
Currently on a tour of European countries, Mnangagwa will attend the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, next week.