The streets of Harare and other big cities in Zimbabwe were empty on Monday. People stayed at home instead of joining protests against the government. These protests were called for by some people who fought in Zimbabwe's freedom struggles long ago. No one showed up at the protests because most people decided to stay away.
The government asked everyone to keep doing their normal activities, but many did not listen. Schools shut down and shops closed because people stayed home. Police officers watched the streets carefully all day. They found just a small group of people and made them leave the business area.
The people who wanted to protest feel angry about President Mnangagwa. His friends want him to stay president after 2028, when he should step down. A man named Blessed Geza leads these unhappy fighters. He uses YouTube videos to tell people that Mr. Mnangagwa should quit and let Mr. Chiwenga take over instead.
Mr. Geza became famous very fast because of his online messages. Many thousands of people watch what he says on YouTube. The police want to arrest him for trying to overthrow the government. The ruling party ZANU-PF kicked him out. Mr. Masunungure, who taught at university, says people might not follow Mr. Geza because they see him as part of the same party.
President Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after the army helped to remove old President Mugabe. The United States placed sanctions on him for bad behavior. He promised to make things better when he became leader. But many groups say he treats people just as badly as Mr. Mugabe did. Mr. Mnangagwa says these claims are false and insists he improved life for everyone.
The government asked everyone to keep doing their normal activities, but many did not listen. Schools shut down and shops closed because people stayed home. Police officers watched the streets carefully all day. They found just a small group of people and made them leave the business area.
The people who wanted to protest feel angry about President Mnangagwa. His friends want him to stay president after 2028, when he should step down. A man named Blessed Geza leads these unhappy fighters. He uses YouTube videos to tell people that Mr. Mnangagwa should quit and let Mr. Chiwenga take over instead.
Mr. Geza became famous very fast because of his online messages. Many thousands of people watch what he says on YouTube. The police want to arrest him for trying to overthrow the government. The ruling party ZANU-PF kicked him out. Mr. Masunungure, who taught at university, says people might not follow Mr. Geza because they see him as part of the same party.
President Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after the army helped to remove old President Mugabe. The United States placed sanctions on him for bad behavior. He promised to make things better when he became leader. But many groups say he treats people just as badly as Mr. Mugabe did. Mr. Mnangagwa says these claims are false and insists he improved life for everyone.
