Zimbabwe was on edge on Monday as looming anti-government protests led to a near standstill in major cities.
Streets in major cities, including the capital Harare and second city Bulawayo, were eerily quiet, with police checkpoints set up to search vehicles for “dangerous weapons.”
Supermarkets in Harare remained closed and traffic into city centre was significantly reduced as citizens stayed home, avoiding work and school.
The protests were sparked by growing dissatisfaction with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership.
Outspoken war veteran and former ruling ZANU PF member Blessed Geza, who has been charged with treason but remains at large, has accused Mnangagwa of failing to address corruption and economic struggles.
Geza urged Zimbabweans on Sunday to take to the streets, declaring on social media that “Mnangagwa must go.”
The unrest highlights deepening divisions within ZANU PF.
Liberation war veterans, who played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s independence, are rallying behind Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, as a potential successor.
They argue that Mnangagwa’s intention to remain in power beyond his second term, set to end in 2028, mirrors the authoritarian tendencies of the late former president Robert Mugabe, whose ousting in 2017 was led by Chiwenga.
JN/APA