Zimbabwe cities looked empty on Monday, March 31, 2025. Streets in Harare, Bulawayo, and Gweru stayed silent as shops kept their doors locked. Almost nobody used public transportation that day. Most people decided to remain at home instead of heading out for regular activities.
The government kept saying everyone should go to work as usual. But the places that normally buzz with shoppers, office workers, and street sellers stayed weirdly quiet all day long. Few taxis ran their routes, and market stalls stood empty across these major urban centers.
War veterans from Zimbabwe's freedom struggle had asked citizens to join a national shutdown. They wanted people to protest against President Mnangagwa because they felt angry about money problems and lack of political freedoms. Nobody organized big marches, but the message spread far and wide anyway.
Officials called these shutdown requests dangerous and harmful. They claimed such actions hurt national progress and development plans. The Information Ministry had told everyone the previous day that no legal shutdown existed. They urged citizens to ignore what they called harmful calls to action.
Many people remembered what happened back in 2019 during similar protests. The government cracked down hard after fuel price increases sparked public anger. At least 17 people died in that violence. Hundreds more suffered injuries from security forces who responded with force.
Citizens played it safe this time around. Many feared possible arrests or violent reactions if they went outside. Police stayed ready for trouble across the country. Tinashe Dube, who normally sells goods in Mbare starting at 6 am, stayed home with his family because he worried about what might happen.
Political tensions run deep right under the surface. President Mnangagwa fired Army Commander Lieutenant-General Sanyatwe on March 26, just last week. Experts saw this as a move to ensure military leaders stayed loyal amid rumors of disagreements. Sanyatwe immediately became Minister of Sport, taking over from former Olympic athlete Kirsty Coventry.
People wondered about the timing of this job change since it happened days before the planned shutdown. Rumors spread about power struggles inside the ruling ZANU-PF party. Nobody knew for sure how strong the President's control remained over security forces.
The opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, made clear he had nothing to do with these protests. He released a statement saying he believes in peaceful talks and building up the nation together. Political watchers saw this as a smart move to avoid government anger and present himself as reasonable during uncertain times ahead of the elections in 2028.
Chamisa stepped back from main politics late last year but still connects strongly with younger voters. The country faces serious money troubles that make daily life hard for regular people. Prices keep climbing into double digits. The local money loses value constantly. Electricity cuts happen regularly across the nation.
Health care systems barely function, basic services fail, and resources meant for public use are stolen by corruption. The government keeps telling international businesses they should invest in Zimbabwe, but citizens see no improvements in their daily struggles. Rudo Mlambo cuts hair in Gweru and says prices increase every week as jobs disappear.
Even without massive street demonstrations, the success of this stay-at-home protest shows how frustrated people feel. Trust in government officials and political leaders has almost disappeared. Home Affairs officials insisted everything remained calm on Monday afternoon and denied any shutdown happened at all.
They blamed fake news and online troublemakers for creating panic without reason. But pictures shared across social media platforms told the real story. They showed completely deserted avenues in Harare. Empty bus stations in Bulawayo appeared in many photos. Shopping centers in Gweru looked like ghost towns all day long.
Foreign diplomats and international groups watched everything closely. Several embassies warned their staff members to be careful when moving around the country. The gap between what officials claimed and what citizens experienced grew wider with each passing hour throughout this extraordinary day.
The government kept saying everyone should go to work as usual. But the places that normally buzz with shoppers, office workers, and street sellers stayed weirdly quiet all day long. Few taxis ran their routes, and market stalls stood empty across these major urban centers.
War veterans from Zimbabwe's freedom struggle had asked citizens to join a national shutdown. They wanted people to protest against President Mnangagwa because they felt angry about money problems and lack of political freedoms. Nobody organized big marches, but the message spread far and wide anyway.
Officials called these shutdown requests dangerous and harmful. They claimed such actions hurt national progress and development plans. The Information Ministry had told everyone the previous day that no legal shutdown existed. They urged citizens to ignore what they called harmful calls to action.
Many people remembered what happened back in 2019 during similar protests. The government cracked down hard after fuel price increases sparked public anger. At least 17 people died in that violence. Hundreds more suffered injuries from security forces who responded with force.
Citizens played it safe this time around. Many feared possible arrests or violent reactions if they went outside. Police stayed ready for trouble across the country. Tinashe Dube, who normally sells goods in Mbare starting at 6 am, stayed home with his family because he worried about what might happen.
Political tensions run deep right under the surface. President Mnangagwa fired Army Commander Lieutenant-General Sanyatwe on March 26, just last week. Experts saw this as a move to ensure military leaders stayed loyal amid rumors of disagreements. Sanyatwe immediately became Minister of Sport, taking over from former Olympic athlete Kirsty Coventry.
People wondered about the timing of this job change since it happened days before the planned shutdown. Rumors spread about power struggles inside the ruling ZANU-PF party. Nobody knew for sure how strong the President's control remained over security forces.
The opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, made clear he had nothing to do with these protests. He released a statement saying he believes in peaceful talks and building up the nation together. Political watchers saw this as a smart move to avoid government anger and present himself as reasonable during uncertain times ahead of the elections in 2028.
Chamisa stepped back from main politics late last year but still connects strongly with younger voters. The country faces serious money troubles that make daily life hard for regular people. Prices keep climbing into double digits. The local money loses value constantly. Electricity cuts happen regularly across the nation.
Health care systems barely function, basic services fail, and resources meant for public use are stolen by corruption. The government keeps telling international businesses they should invest in Zimbabwe, but citizens see no improvements in their daily struggles. Rudo Mlambo cuts hair in Gweru and says prices increase every week as jobs disappear.
Even without massive street demonstrations, the success of this stay-at-home protest shows how frustrated people feel. Trust in government officials and political leaders has almost disappeared. Home Affairs officials insisted everything remained calm on Monday afternoon and denied any shutdown happened at all.
They blamed fake news and online troublemakers for creating panic without reason. But pictures shared across social media platforms told the real story. They showed completely deserted avenues in Harare. Empty bus stations in Bulawayo appeared in many photos. Shopping centers in Gweru looked like ghost towns all day long.
Foreign diplomats and international groups watched everything closely. Several embassies warned their staff members to be careful when moving around the country. The gap between what officials claimed and what citizens experienced grew wider with each passing hour throughout this extraordinary day.
