"In light of the economic situation, I will be returning home after a highly productive week of bilateral trade and investment meetings," Mnangagwa said Sunday in a tweet. He said he will skip the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.
Thousands of Zimbabweans barricaded roads and torched some government property last week after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called a strike to protest the state's doubling of fuel prices. The increase will add to inflation that's already at the highest rate in a decade, amid a shortage of raw materials and cash.
Security forces responded to the demonstrations with live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas while the government twice shut down the Internet to stem the flow of information.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum said Saturday that at least 12 people died, either from gunshots or blunt force trauma. A further 78 people received medical treatment after being shot, while 242 others were treated for injuries in hospitals across the country.