“Rhodes Used a Pastor—Who’s Hypnotizing Zimbabwe Today?”: Geza’s Cry, Chiwenga’s Silence, and the Betrayal of the People
By Farai D Hove | ZimEye – 17 May 2025
An editorial message posted on ZimEye’s news platform Friday night has reignited the moral and political reckoning within Zimbabwe’s military and religious elite, drawing a sharp parallel between Cecil Rhodes’ historic manipulation of King Lobengula and the present-day capture of Zimbabwe’s power structures.
“Rhodes didn’t send an army to fool Lobengula… he just needed a single pastor to hypnotize the King,” reads the post. Directed at war veteran Blessed Geza, the statement implies that just as Rhodes used spiritual deceit instead of brute force, today’s leaders may be using church structures—or ignoring them—to pacify a suffering populace while looting persists.
The explosive message accompanied a heartfelt plea delivered by Geza earlier on Friday, in which he publicly criticized Vice President General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga and the military for betraying the ideals of the 2017 coup.
A Veteran’s Plea: “Generals, You Let Us Down”
Geza, once a trusted foot soldier of the liberation struggle, directed his anguish at Chiwenga:
“The problems we are now seeing in the country are because of the decision by the generals led by Chiwenga… Generals, you have let us down.”
He accused Chiwenga of ignoring warnings from the late President Robert Mugabe and for enabling Emmerson Mnangagwa’s return from exile—despite Mugabe’s explicit caution that Mnangagwa would betray the nation. Geza insists that the collapse of state institutions, seizure of national infrastructure like the pipeline, looting under Command Agriculture, and political persecution all stem from this fateful decision.
His indictment doesn’t spare the judiciary and security sector either, as he decries the denial of bail for opposition activists like Job Sikhala and Jacob Ngarivhume:
“The boys are rotting in jail… what’s their crime? Because the money went into Emmerson’s bank account?”
The Parallel with Lobengula: Spiritual Treachery and Civil Hypnosis
The historical reference to King Lobengula and the 1888 Rudd Concession is no accident. Rhodes secured a mineral rights contract through the deceptive influence of Christian missionaries, not military confrontation. Today, ZimEye suggests, the same formula may be in use—this time to sedate civil resistance and distract public scrutiny.
In the comments beneath the post, Bishop Kevin Nyamakanga defends the Church, stating, “He left the church, he never considered the church.”
But ZimEye’s piercing response follows:
“Why did the church not do the job they were sent to do by the Heavens, and the Tithe Payers?”
The implication is clear: religious institutions, just like the military, have failed to serve their moral calling. They are accused of abandoning the people at a time of national betrayal.
State Capture by Spiritual Proxy?
Geza goes further, claiming the current regime is defined by “state capture”—likening Mnangagwa’s power consolidation to Jacob Zuma’s downfall in South Africa.
“With Mugabe, the allegation was state power was sexually transmitted. This time, it’s no longer an allegation. It’s a fact,” he charged.
The remarks, although cloaked in poetic phrasing, expose what many see as a disturbing reality: an executive captured by personal interests, protected by a paralyzed military command, and blessed by a silent, complicit clergy.
Where Are the Generals?
In his closing remarks, Geza questions why Chiwenga has not issued orders to prosecute those looting state resources:
“Why is it that Gen Chiwenga you’re failing to give orders to [Police Commissioner] Mutamba to arrest the Zviganandas?”
The reference to “Cde Bombshell,” believed to be Mnangagwa, encapsulates the betrayal felt by liberation fighters, many of whom now live in poverty while elites exploit the very institutions created during the liberation war.
Conclusion: Zimbabwe’s Modern Rudd Concession?
In 1888, one man signed away a nation’s wealth under the hypnotic influence of a preacher. Today, Blessed Geza warns, history is repeating—only this time, the hypnotists may be wearing suits and uniforms, not colonial frocks.
The challenge now lies with the generals and the clergy. Will they redeem themselves, or remain Rhodes’ modern-day proxies in the betrayal of a nation?