By Munacho Gwamanda–Harare could be on the verge of a major political tremor following war veteran Blessed “Bombshell” Runesu Geza’s weekend call for another national shutdown aimed at forcing President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of office.
This latest push comes despite the continued detention of more than 100 citizens arrested during last month’s protests in Harare—an uprising that marked the first wave of visible resistance against Mnangagwa’s rule.
Geza, the architect behind the widely observed shutdown in March, is once again rallying Zimbabweans to stay home on April 22 and 23, 2025.
He describes the planned action as a powerful yet peaceful demonstration of defiance.
“On Tuesday and Wednesday, the 22nd and 23rd of April, everyone must stay home. We must shut down Zimbabwe completely,” Geza declared in a viral online broadcast.
“This is to send a strong message to Mnangagwa and his zvigananda. Shops and industries must not open. Kombis should be parked. The police will not teargas you—but if they come, you have the right to defend yourselves.”
In a country where public demonstrations are effectively banned and civil liberties continue to be eroded, Geza argues that stay-aways have become one of the few non-violent tools left for resisting authoritarian rule.
“Mnangagwa has captured the judiciary and suspended Parliament at will. Zimbabwe is now one of the few countries in the world where the right to protest no longer exists. But we’ve discovered that staying at home is a powerful weapon,” he said.
Despite a nationwide warrant for his arrest—on charges including theft, incitement to violence, and “undermining the authority of the President”—Geza remains defiant.
Operating from hiding, he has turned to social media to mobilize support, gaining a significant following among unemployed youth, disillusioned war veterans, and ordinary citizens frustrated with the state of the nation.
Geza’s renewed call for action comes as public anger over Mnangagwa’s failed leadership continues to grow.
When Mnangagwa seized power in a 2017 military coup, he promised a “Second Republic” and a break from Robert Mugabe’s authoritarian past.
But nearly eight years later, those hopes have faded.
Zimbabwe’s economy is in freefall.
Inflation is out of control. The Zimbabwean dollar continues to lose value.
Basic commodities are out of reach for many, and civil servants’ salaries are wiped out within days of payment.
Corruption scandals—including the looting of COVID-19 funds, rampant gold smuggling, and shady procurement deals—have gone unpunished, often implicating those within Mnangagwa’s inner circle.
Meanwhile, journalists, opposition leaders, and human rights defenders face relentless harassment and arrest.
Peaceful dissent is criminalized, and the media is tightly controlled.
Mnangagwa is also accused of dismantling democratic institutions to entrench his grip on power.
Parliament has been sidelined.
The judiciary is packed with loyalists. Promised electoral reforms never came to pass.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) remains discredited after presiding over deeply flawed elections marred by irregularities, intimidation, and vote-rigging.
Internally, ZANU PF is increasingly divided.
Behind Mnangagwa’s strongman image lies a party gripped by factionalism.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga—who led the 2017 coup—is said to be quietly consolidating power within both the party and the military.
Tensions between the Mnangagwa and Chiwenga camps are reportedly escalating ahead of the next party congress.
During his Independence Day speech in Gokwe on 18 April, Mnangagwa issued a thinly veiled warning to social media activists accused of “inciting unrest”—a clear jab at Geza and others galvanizing citizens online.
Still, Geza remains undeterred.
“I’m pleading with you to stay home. I know it’s hard—we’re living from hand to mouth. But this is our only hope to make Mnangagwa hear us. We are staying away to force him to step down.”