By Anon Anon | Zimbabwe has always been a nation perched on the edge of political unrest, but the arrest of journalist Blessed Mhlanga on February 24, 2025, might be the final nudge that pushes it over. His crime? Broadcasting interviews with war veteran Blessed Geza, who has become one of the most vocal critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime. Ironically, while many expected Geza to be the catalyst for potential mass protests, it is Mhlanga’s arrest that now threatens to light the fuse.
With a history marred by government crackdowns on dissent and a crumbling economy that has pushed millions into poverty, Zimbabwe is a nation ripe for upheaval. Mhlanga’s detention has drawn disturbing parallels to the Arab Spring—when one seemingly isolated act of repression triggered a wave of revolutions across North Africa and the Middle East. But unlike the predictable firebrand Geza, it is the quieter, more symbolic target—the journalist—that could end up igniting Zimbabwe’s own moment of reckoning.
The Firebrand Who Was Supposed to Be the Spark
For months, political observers had their eyes fixed on Blessed Geza, a war veteran and Zanu-PF central committee member, as the man most likely to trigger mass unrest. Known for his fiery speeches and relentless criticism of Mnangagwa’s government, Geza has been a thorn in the side of the ruling elite. His calls for Mnangagwa to step down—blaming the president for abandoning the values of the liberation struggle and fostering a culture of corruption—sent shockwaves through both opposition circles and the ruling party.
Geza’s profile made him an obvious flashpoint for potential upheaval. As a war veteran, his voice carries significant weight among Zimbabwe’s liberation-era loyalists, many of whom have grown disillusioned with the direction the country has taken. His defiant press conferences on January 27 and February 11, 2025, where he openly accused Mnangagwa of betraying the revolution, were seen as thinly veiled calls for mass mobilization. In fact, many believed that if Zimbabwe were to experience its own uprising, Geza would be the man leading the charge.
When police launched a manhunt for Geza following his public outbursts—charging him with inciting public violence and insulting the president—it seemed like the regime was bracing for a wave of protests. Yet, the anticipated spark didn’t ignite—at least, not directly from Geza.
The Government’s Miscalculation: Targeting the Messenger
Instead, it was the arrest of Blessed Mhlanga that sent ripples of outrage across Zimbabwe. As a journalist for Alpha Media Holdings and head of news at HStv, Mhlanga was simply doing his job—broadcasting Geza’s controversial statements and giving the public access to viewpoints often buried by state-controlled media.
But the government’s decision to detain Mhlanga under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act—accusing him of transmitting data messages that incite violence—struck a deeper nerve. In choosing to punish the messenger instead of just the message bearer, the regime inadvertently broadened the circle of outrage. While Geza’s rhetoric may have polarized some, Mhlanga’s arrest is seen as a direct assault on press freedom—a core tenet of democracy.
Legal experts quickly dismissed the charges as trumped-up. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), representing Mhlanga, described the case as “a ridiculous attempt by the Mnangagwa regime to remain afloat.” Even Trevor Ncube, chairman of Alpha Media Holdings, accused the state of “punishing Mhlanga for doing what any responsible journalist should—exposing the truth.”
Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono called the arrest a “cowardly act” by a government increasingly out of touch with its own people. And this is where the dynamics began to shift.
Why Mhlanga, Not Geza, May Be the Catalyst for Change
While Geza’s political activism was expected to draw battle lines within the ruling party, Mhlanga’s arrest hits differently. It transcends party loyalties and ideological divides, uniting activists, journalists, human rights organizations, and ordinary Zimbabweans who see freedom of speech as non-negotiable. It’s no longer just about Zanu-PF factionalism or liberation war politics—it’s about the people’s right to know and to speak out.
Geza, for all his firebrand energy, remains a deeply political figure, with critics questioning his motives and lingering party ties. But Mhlanga? He’s a journalist—someone viewed as neutral, a conduit of information rather than a driver of partisan agendas. And that’s precisely why his arrest could have a bigger impact. In trying to control the narrative, the government may have amplified it.
Social media has since been flooded with hashtags like #FreeMhlanga and #PressFreedomZW, drawing comparisons to the Arab Spring, where citizen journalism and social media platforms like Twitter played a pivotal role in mobilizing protests. In Tunisia, it wasn’t a politician or activist who sparked the revolution—it was an everyday citizen, Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation became a symbol of state oppression. Similarly, Mhlanga’s arrest could serve as Zimbabwe’s moment of clarity, a reminder of just how far the regime is willing to go to silence dissent.
The Dangerous Gamble of Repression
The Mnangagwa government’s strategy seems to be clear: intimidate the press, control the message, and send a warning to other potential dissenters—including those within its own ranks. But history has shown that such tactics often backfire. Repression rarely quells unrest—it amplifies it.
By arresting Mhlanga, the government didn’t just silence a journalist; it inadvertently gave the opposition and civil society a unifying cause. Already, protests are being organized by various pressure groups, and international watchdogs are weighing in, calling for sanctions and deeper scrutiny of Zimbabwe’s human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, Geza remains in hiding, evading arrest. Yet, in a twist of irony, it is the journalist who reported on Geza—not Geza himself—who may go down in history as the unexpected catalyst for change.
A Nation on the Brink
Zimbabwe has been here before—at the edge of something bigger, something more volatile. But the stakes feel different this time. Economic collapse, political gridlock, and social discontent have created a perfect storm. The government’s attempt to use Mhlanga’s arrest as a cautionary tale might instead turn it into a rallying cry.
The question now is whether Zimbabweans will seize this moment, turning outrage into action, or if the regime’s tactics of fear will once again smother dissent. But if history has taught us anything—from Tunisia to Egypt—it’s that the smallest spark can set off the largest fire.
And in Zimbabwe, that spark may have just been lit—not by the expected revolutionary, but by the journalist who simply told his story.