It was Zimbabwe’s first day after the official end to the era of Robert Mugabe, following a momentous election and a new president. But, amazingly for Africa after a vote, there were no celebrations, no victory marches, the city centre of Harare was pretty deserted, with many shops shut.

A police van was broadcasting from a loudspeaker, on a loop, the message: “Zimbabwe is open for business. Feel free to walk and open your business. We are here to protect you. All is well, fear not.” It went through empty streets, past the rubble from running battles of two days ago – when troops had shot dead six people and injured 30 others protesting against possible fraud during the election.

Many people would need to be convinced of the police message that all was well. The new president was an old face, 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, an ally of Mugabe for decades before the two men fell out. The old practices of a brutal regime have not, we were soon to get yet another reminder, completely gone away.

Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was due to hold a press conference, his first public appearance after his party had lost parliament to the ruling Zanu-PF, and he had lost the presidency to Mr Mnangagwa.

We all knew what to expect – claims from Mr Chamisa that the election had been stolen and he was determined to overturn the result. But Mr Mnangagwa and his party were in a strong position; the results had not come just from the Zimbabwe Election Commission, which the MDC has been attacking for supposedly allowing malpractice, but the poll had been signed off by observers from the US, EU, the African Union, regional states and the Commonwealth.

Then armed riot police, three carriers full, backed by a water cannon suddenly arrived outside the hotel where Mr Charisma was due to speak, the Bronte hotel, which also happened to be the place where many journalists, as well as international election monitors, were staying.

Zimbabwe election: Shots fired at protesting crowds in Harare as violence escalates

Wearing their protective gear, body armour, visored helmets, knee and arm pads over their blue uniforms, they charged into the garden where cameras and microphones had been set up, banging their riot sticks into their shields, shouting “out, out, everyone get out”.

There was, for a little while, genuine apprehension. Wednesday’s violence had started with relatively low-key action by the police then escalated rapidly to tear gas, baton rounds and the use of water cannons and sjamboks (heavy leather whips) before the military arriving in armoured cars, opening fire with live rounds from semi-automatic rifles. And many of us had to join the crowd in running when the bullets started flying.

Some of those present for the press conference left, but the rest wanted to find out what was going on. The attitude of the police veered between being aggressive and being unsure.

In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Show all 55 1 /55 In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate after officials announced the re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters celebrate at the Harare International Convention Centre in the early hours Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the announcement EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the results of the Presidential elections were announced at the Harare International Convention Centre EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor sells sponges near newspaper headlines on the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the newly reelected Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate in Mbare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man reads a Zimbabwean newspaper the day after the violence on the streets of Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man reacts at the sight of soldiers while taking shelter in a stall at a market in Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) light a fire in the streets of Harare. Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Opposition MDC party supporters hold a voting placard up high on a street in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of Zimbabwean opposition MDC Alliance allegedly beaten up by soldiers sits with blood on his face as other protesters assist him AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man hides under a tarpauling while the Zimbabwean Army patrols the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Anti-riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers, where the election results were announced in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire on citizens REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run the Zimbabwean army during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) protest the result of the election, which they allege to be fraudulent Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier assaults a man on the streets of Harare during protests AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean anti riot police officers sit in a truck amidst protesters on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run from riot police amidst protests in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers patrol the streets during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man lies dead after the Zimbabwean army shot at protesters in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition party protests in the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean soldiers beats an opposition supporter on the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition burn a campaign banner of the ruling Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Mbare, a suburb of Zimbabwean capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer keeps watch of queuing voters in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Election officials remove political posters near a polling station on voting day Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa arrives at a polling station in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives to cast his vote in Kwekwe Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Kwekwe AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters arrive at a polling station in Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe prepares to cast his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in Mbare, a suburb of capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in the township of Makokoba Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer casts his vote in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays near a polling station in Mbare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe speaks at a press conference the day before the vote where he stated that he would not be voting for his former Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition MDC party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA

There were individual conversations between journalists and policemen. “You and others have to go away from this hotel,” said one young policeman to me. I pointed out I was staying at the hotel. “You could all be arrested. What room are you in?” He demanded to know. “Why should I tell you, what room are you in? If you are not staying here, what are you doing here? Have you got a warrant? Are you here to arrest Chamisa?” I asked. At this point the young policeman started to back away muttering: “I am not allowed to talk to you, I will be in trouble if I tell you anything.”

He and his comrades, by then in a huddle, left, led by a senior officer, an assistant commissioner. They were pursued by reporters, camera crews and photographers down the road. After a while a deal was made. The senior officer promised to explain to a human rights lawyer who was present what had happened – if we, the media, stopped chasing his men.

A little later the information minister, SK Moyo, appeared at the hotel to say Mr Chamisa’s press conference was on after all. He would not explain what happened earlier, answering questions with “you need to go to the press conference”.

Mr Chamisa’s briefing, when it eventually started, was packed, with more journalists rushing there after hearing what had transpired. The MDC leader had a field day, adding intimidation by police to all his other charges against the Zanu-PF.

Mr Mnangagwa, in a tweet, said later: “The scenes today at the Bronte Hotel have no place in our society and we are urgently investigating the matter to understand exactly what happened. Over the past nine months we have protected freedom of speech and the right to criticise the government...”

It was a statement which raised more questions than gave answers.

The encounter at the press conference was covered by the media from across the world, and what happened showed widely. The foreign observers noted what had happened and talked about how it will impact on the Mnangagwa government’s attempts to come out of international isolation.