A mob of 500 ruling party militants have gone on the rampage on the streets of Zimbabwe's second city. They have also firebombed the local offices of the main opposition party in Bulawayo.
There has been no confirmation of the number of injuries.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) say the militants were claiming to be war veterans of the independence struggle and marched into the city escorted by police. They then set fire to his party's local headquarters.
Bulawayo firefighters tried to get to the scene but were turned back by the militants while armed paramilitaries looked on.
Shortly before the random attack on whites, the militants had been addressed by Mr Dumiso Dabengwa, a former home affairs minister and the chairman of the ruling party in the western Matabeleland province.
Leader of the MDC, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, says he had also received reports of militant attacks in Kadoma, 75 miles southwest of the capital, Harare.
Mr Tsvangirai, who plans to stand against President Mugabe, urged supporters not to retaliate, lest the country descend further into lawlessness and chaos. Despite President Mugabe's campaign of intimidation, boycotting next year's polls was not an option for the MDC, Mr Tsvangirai said.
