War veteran Blessed Geza posted another video Wednesday from a secret location. He wore army clothes and again called for "an uprising" to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down on March 31. Police want to arrest him for sedition charges. In his YouTube message, he urged people across Zimbabwe to fill the streets, saying, "Mnangagwa must go."
Zanu PF kicked Geza out about two weeks ago. He claims many veterans from Zimbabwe's 1970s freedom fight stand with him because they feel unhappy about how Mnangagwa runs the country. No one knows yet if his call for mass action will work, but the government takes these threats seriously. They set up extra security everywhere.
Police officers cannot take leave or time off right away, and more roadblocks appear all over the country. Mnangagwa told his party leaders in Harare Wednesday he has enough backing from "patriotic citizens to squash efforts by malcontents and rogue delusional elements bent on disturbing our peace, unity and harmony." He also mentioned that "those who bark will continue barking" as Zimbabwe moves forward.
This call for an uprising happened just as Mnangagwa's supporters pushed to change the constitution. They want to add two more years to his final term, extending it from 2028 to 2030. People loyal to Mnangagwa worry that Geza might secretly work for Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the retired general who helped remove Robert Mugabe in 2017 through a military takeover that brought Mnangagwa to power.
Chiwenga has said nothing publicly about Geza. Nobody knows how much pull he still has with the military, which remains powerful in Zanu PF politics. Mnangagwa fired army commander Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe on Tuesday. Analysts see this as a move to protect himself from potential coups since Sanyatwe supported Chiwenga.
Geza asked opposition leaders to join his protest plans, but many question if he truly believes in democracy. During his latest video, the former Zanu PF central committee member listed names of what he called "criminals around Mnangagwa" and another group of "political criminals." His first list named businessmen Wicknell Chivayo, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Scott Sakupwanya, and Mnangagwa's wife Auxilia, who reportedly wants to become president herself.
Geza stated that people should buy data because they will see what action his group takes against these "criminals." He pointed out that these targets make up only a small number compared to Zimbabwe's 16 million citizens. He expressed sadness about the current situation, noting that some people even say life under colonial rule seemed better. He blamed the "political criminals" for these problems.
He promised to confront Mnangagwa on March 31 but said his group would start dealing with the "criminals" immediately. Geza predicted these people would eventually tell Mnangagwa to resign because of their suffering. He apologized that war veterans had let Zimbabweans down by supporting the Zanu PF leadership for years. He added that as veterans near the end of their lives, they cannot leave Zimbabwe controlled by thieves, and efforts to remove these "thieves and political criminals" have already started.
Zanu PF kicked Geza out about two weeks ago. He claims many veterans from Zimbabwe's 1970s freedom fight stand with him because they feel unhappy about how Mnangagwa runs the country. No one knows yet if his call for mass action will work, but the government takes these threats seriously. They set up extra security everywhere.
Police officers cannot take leave or time off right away, and more roadblocks appear all over the country. Mnangagwa told his party leaders in Harare Wednesday he has enough backing from "patriotic citizens to squash efforts by malcontents and rogue delusional elements bent on disturbing our peace, unity and harmony." He also mentioned that "those who bark will continue barking" as Zimbabwe moves forward.
This call for an uprising happened just as Mnangagwa's supporters pushed to change the constitution. They want to add two more years to his final term, extending it from 2028 to 2030. People loyal to Mnangagwa worry that Geza might secretly work for Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the retired general who helped remove Robert Mugabe in 2017 through a military takeover that brought Mnangagwa to power.
Chiwenga has said nothing publicly about Geza. Nobody knows how much pull he still has with the military, which remains powerful in Zanu PF politics. Mnangagwa fired army commander Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe on Tuesday. Analysts see this as a move to protect himself from potential coups since Sanyatwe supported Chiwenga.
Geza asked opposition leaders to join his protest plans, but many question if he truly believes in democracy. During his latest video, the former Zanu PF central committee member listed names of what he called "criminals around Mnangagwa" and another group of "political criminals." His first list named businessmen Wicknell Chivayo, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Scott Sakupwanya, and Mnangagwa's wife Auxilia, who reportedly wants to become president herself.
Geza stated that people should buy data because they will see what action his group takes against these "criminals." He pointed out that these targets make up only a small number compared to Zimbabwe's 16 million citizens. He expressed sadness about the current situation, noting that some people even say life under colonial rule seemed better. He blamed the "political criminals" for these problems.
He promised to confront Mnangagwa on March 31 but said his group would start dealing with the "criminals" immediately. Geza predicted these people would eventually tell Mnangagwa to resign because of their suffering. He apologized that war veterans had let Zimbabweans down by supporting the Zanu PF leadership for years. He added that as veterans near the end of their lives, they cannot leave Zimbabwe controlled by thieves, and efforts to remove these "thieves and political criminals" have already started.
