Zimbabwe is bracing for nationwide anti-government protests on March 31 as tensions rise within the ruling ZANU PF party and among citizens frustrated by alleged corruption and economic mismanagement under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Outspoken war veteran Blessed Geza, who was expelled from ZANU PF earlier this month, has called for an “uprising” to force Mnangagwa’s resignation.
In a video released Wednesday night from an undisclosed location, Geza, clad in military fatigues, urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets, accusing Mnangagwa and his allies of misgovernance.
He named several individuals, including businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknel Chivhayo, and Scot Sakupwanya, as well as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and other government officials, as complicit in the country’s decline.
The government has responded with a heavy security presence, cancelling police leave and increasing roadblocks nationwide.
Mnangagwa, addressing his party’s politburo on Wednesday, dismissed the protests as the work of “malcontents and rogue delusional elements” and expressed confidence in his support base.
Geza’s call for mass action has heightened tensions within ZANU PF where divisions between Mnangagwa and his deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, have become increasingly apparent.
Mnangagwa loyalists are pushing to amend the constitution to extend his term limit beyond 2028, a move opposed by Chiwenga’s supporters and the opposition.
Analysts suggest that Geza’s actions may be linked to Chiwenga who played a key role in the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power.
Mnangagwa recently removed army commander Anselem Sanyatwe, a Chiwenga ally, in what observers see as an effort to consolidate power and prevent a potential coup.
The looming protests have sparked fears of violence, with Zimbabwe’s history of suppressing dissent through state security forces casting a shadow over the planned demonstrations.
JN/APA