Zimbabwe police ramp up security as war veteran Blessed Geza calls for indefinite stay-away

Police in Zimbabwe say they are providing 'maximum security' on Tuesday and Wednesday following calls for a national stay-away made by expelled Zanu PF member Blessed Runesu Geza.
Last month, IOL reported that Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party insisted that protests that were previously announced by Geza for March 31 had not made much impact.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
At the time, Zanu PF argued that the protests dubbed the "national shutdown" were being hyped on social media platforms. On March 31, many Zimbabweans elected to stay at home, amid a massive deployment of security forces.
In a fresh address from an unknown location, Geza, who insists he remains a senior member of Zanu PF, used social media platforms including X and YouTube to call for stay-aways on Tuesday and Wednesday. In another address, Geza later called for 'indefinite' stay-aways, insisting that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was incapacitated and must leave office. The president of Zanu PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is also the incumbent President of Zimbabwe.
However, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) issued a statement on Monday, saying 'enough' officers have been deployed.
'The Zimbabwe Republic Police is ready to ensure that the public is free to engage in all socio-economic activities without fear, intimidation, threats, or harassment on 22 and 23 April 2025. The ZRP has deployed enough officers throughout the country to effectively maintain law and order including in central business districts, residential areas, industrial areas and all areas frequented by the public,' said Commissioner Paul Nyathi in a statement.
'In this regard, police will arrest anyone who interferes with the smooth flow of traffic and movement of the public.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Nyathi warned that Zimbabweans are cautioned against abuse of social media and urged to totally disregard social media postings meant to cause chaos and alarm in the country.
The latest calls for stay-away happen at a time when the southern African nation is hosting the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which kicked off in the second largest city of Bulawayo on Monday.
The trade fair this year is expected to be attended by numerous foreign and diplomatic leaders, including a visit by Mozambican President Daniel Chapo.
The police in Zimbabwe said all visitors and exhibitors will be safe.
'All local and foreign exhibitors attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair exhibition forum are assured of their security and safety,' said Nyathi.
'The ZRP reiterates that it is ready to conduct its constitutional mandate without fear or favour. Any instigators of violence and disruption of the normal operation of the economy will be severely dealt with.' The Zimbabwe Republic Police has warned against "abuse" of social media platforms, amid calls for stay-aways in the country.
Last month, IOL reported that on several occasions, one of Zimbabwe's most wanted fugitives and outspoken war veteran Geza has been conducting live broadcasts on social media, calling on Zimbabwean communities to descend on the streets in protest against Mnangagwa's rule.
Geza, a vociferous critic of Mnangagwa, was dismissed from Zanu PF for "undermining the authority of the president" and remains in hiding.
Clad in camouflage regalia, Geza, in all his virtual addresses, has warned several people in government and Zanu PF positions that they would be 'dealt with'.
Geza and a group of war veterans have been calling for Mnangagwa to step down, citing endemic corruption and mismanagement of the country's affairs.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Eyewitness News

18 hours ago

• Eyewitness News

Trump confirms DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal, gripes about Nobels

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump took credit Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda -- and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC -- to be formally signed in the US capital next week. "This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!" Trump said in a Truth Social post confirming the breakthrough. But his triumphant tone darkened as he complained that he had been overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his mediating role in conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo. He also demanded credit for "keeping peace" between Egypt and Ethiopia and brokering the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements aiming to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Trump campaigned for office as a "peacemaker" who would use his negotiating skills to quickly end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, although both conflicts are still raging five months into his presidency. Indian officials have denied that he had any role in its ceasefire with Pakistan. The government of Pakistan, meanwhile, said Friday it would formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the recent conflict. However, Trump's claims for the Abraham Accords being able to "unify the Middle East" have yet to be realized, with war breaking out between Israel and Iran, and no end in sight to the conflict in Gaza. And critics say the Republican greatly exaggerated the significance of the 2020 Serbia-Kosovo agreements, which were statements of intent that were thin on details and quickly unraveled. The president said officials from DR Congo and Rwanda would be in Washington on Monday for the signing, although their joint statement said they would put pen to paper on June 27. The resource-rich eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for three decades, with a resurgence since the anti-government M23 armed group went on a renewed offensive at the end of 2021. The deal -- which builds on a declaration of principles signed in April -- was reached during three days of talks between the neighbors in Washington, according to their statement. Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and loyal lawmakers over the years. He has made no secret of his irritation at missing out on the prestigious award, bringing it up as recently as February during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Barack Obama won the prize soon after taking office in 2009, and Trump complained during his 2024 election campaign that his Democratic predecessor was not worthy of the honor.

IOL News

a day ago

• IOL News

Why Pride Month is a protest for LGBTQ+ rights

Sandton Gay Pride went ahead as planned despite a terror warning by the US embassy in this file photo. South Africa is not only one of the only pro-queer African nations to date, but it is also the only country to have legalised same-sex marriage, and only the fifth in the world to have done so. Image: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA) IN South Africa, June is not only Youth Month, it is also the international Pride Month. This is a commemorative month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, celebrating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in local and international cultures and communities. South Africa is not only one of the only pro-queer African nations to date, but it is also the only country to have legalised same-sex marriage, and only the fifth in the world to have done so. Although, contemporary, other African nations have decriminalised same-sex relationships, South Africa is the only nation to fully legalise and enshrine the protections of queer people under our Constitutional laws. Legal progress for South Africa's LGBTQ+ community has not translated into lived safety: violence against gay and queer individuals remains rampant. The names Siphamandla Khoza, Andile 'Lulu' Nthuthela, Nathaniel 'Spokgoane' Mbele, Lonwabo 'Jack', and many others, echo loudly in discourses around South Africa's homophobia and violences against queer communities. Mere months ago, fearless advocate for queer Muslims and the world's first openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, was murdered in a targeted attack near Gqeberha on February 15th. The 57-year-old cleric ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims. The car he was travelling in was ambushed as he made his way to officiate an interfaith marriage — an act symbolic of his mission to build bridges in the face of hate. Mere months before that, the remains of Lazarus Ikaneng Thomas, a 50-year-old gay man from Galeshewe in Northern Cape, were found after he was mutilated in a targeted homophobic attack. It was reported that Thomas had been strangled and had acid poured all over his body. Thomas's death was not just a horrifying murder — it was a savage and deliberate act of hatred. It reflects the cruel, barbaric violence still directed at queer bodies in a country that claims to uphold human rights. South Africa is internationally revered for having the best Constitution in the world. It is oftentimes praised for its progressive legal framework: same-sex marriage is legal, discrimination based on sexual orientation is constitutionally prohibited, and LGBTIQ+ people are, on paper, fully protected citizens. Still, queer lives are targeted, violated, and taken — often without consequence. Violence against queer people persists not just because of hate, but because our systems allow it to happen without punishment, letting perpetrators walk free under the cover of institutional neglect. Pride Month is a time meant to honour resilience and demand justice for all, despite gender and sexual orientation. The brutal murders of Hendricks, Thomas, and so many other vulnerable victims' murders serve as a searing reminder of the gap between legal recognition and lived experience. Laws may exist, but they have little weight when queer people are afraid to walk home, afraid to love openly, or to simply exist in peace. The violence in our society is not random; it is enabled by societal apathy, cultural prejudice, and the failure of institutions that are meant to protect our people. Queer people in our society still face oppressions and unspeakable violences, to the point of being dangerously normalised. According to the Mamba Online, 622 queer people were murdered in the span of just three months. From hate crimes and violences such as corrective rape, to various forms of institutional biases, queer people grapple with challenges such as unemployment, gender pay parities, exclusion in leadership, and more, purely because of their sexual orientation. This, being imposed in a constitutional democratic society, is an absolute travesty. This Pride Month, South Africa must look inward. The problem is not a lack of solid legislation, it is the deep-rooted stigma that festers in families, in religious communities, in townships, in schools, and in our justice system. Police still mock victims of queerphobic violence, and even refuse to acknowledge them. The SAPS has, in the past, been severely criticised for its harsh, dismissive attitude towards homophobic crimes. Courts drag their feet, sidelining homophobic violence and atrocities for more sensational — often political — cases. In addition to this, only 28.6% of Home Affairs branches had marriage officers who were willing to marry same sex couples. This is deplorable and shows that our government institutions don't take constitutional rights seriously. Politicians pay lip service to inclusion while staying silent when queer people are brutally murdered. Pride cannot be reduced to rainbow logos and corporate hashtags; it must be a genuine call to action. The era of empty promises is long gone. Legal protections mean nothing without moral conviction. Equality can't be legislated into existence alone. Our nation must reckon with the values it claims to uphold and confront the prejudices it still tolerates in its homes, churches, schools, streets, and beyond. What is required now is transformation at the level of mindset, culture, and conscience. Until queer lives are valued not just in law books but in everyday interactions, in homes, and in the hearts of our fellow citizens, our democracy remains incomplete. Pride means nothing if it leaves the most vulnerable among us behind. South Africa's youth — particularly during Youth Month — are uniquely positioned to be the driving force behind real change. Unburdened by some of the rigid prejudices of older generations, many young people are boldly challenging homophobia, transphobia, and the silence that surrounds queer issues in their communities. From student-led movements, to social media activism, the youth are demanding that queer rights be treated not as optional, but as essential to a just and inclusive society. They are reshaping cultural norms, holding institutions accountable, and creating spaces where queer identities are affirmed rather than erased. In a country where legal protections already exist, it is this generational shift, powered by the courage, creativity, and a refusal to settle for performative partnerships, that can transform SA from just a nation of progressive laws into a truly liberated society. This was the very essence of the national liberation movement: freedom and the entrenchment of equal human rights across our entire society. It is Section 9 of our Bill of Rights that explicitly stipulates the right to sexual orientation and prohibits discrimination in its entirety. South Africa is the First Nation ever to enshrine these protections in the Constitution. South Africa's youth have always been at the forefront of change — from the June 16 Soweto Uprising to #FeesMustFall. Today, they continue to breathe life into our constitutional promises. Young people have an undeniable, unyielding sense of justice, and their commitment to queer rights is critical to the advancement of Pride in our post-democratic society. The youth are not only defending human rights in our society, but expanding the meaning of freedom for future generations. They are holding institutions accountable and demanding that the values enshrined in the Constitution become lived realities for all, including queer communities. In South Africa, everyone in our society knows the fight for freedom, human rights and true liberation — past and present. True Pride means more than survival. If Pride is to mean anything in South Africa, it must move all of us, from law to culture, from silence to solidarity. This means dignity, safety, and freedom for all queer people. We owe it to Hendricks, Thomas, and to the innumerable lives taken by rampant, inhumane queerphobia, to demand nothing less than true justice. It is evident that: 'To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.' Until South Africa confronts the hatred that lives beyond its laws, Pride will remain a protest, not a celebration. * Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist and editor at Global South Media Network. She is a researcher, columnist, and an Andrew W Mellon scholar at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.

eNCA

2 days ago

• eNCA

Zambian ex-president to be buried in South Africa after funeral row

LUSAKA - The family of Zambia's late president, Edgar Lungu, announced on Friday that he will be buried in South Africa after a row with the Zambian government over its plans for a state funeral. Lungu's family on Wednesday stopped his body from being repatriated from South Africa, where he died in hospital on June 5, after it emerged that President Hakainde Hichilema planned to receive it upon arrival against the late leader's wishes. In response, Hichilema cut short an extended period of national mourning for Lungu, whom he replaced in 2021 after winning elections. Lungu's funeral and burial "will take place here in South Africa, in accordance with the family's wishes for a private ceremony", spokesman Makebi Zulu said in a statement. "The Lungu family continues to seek peace and unity amongst fellow Zambians during this time," the statement said, thanking the South African government for its "non-interference and respect of the... rights of the family". The cause of the former president's death at the age of 68 was not announced but he had been receiving specialised treatment in a clinic in Pretoria, his Patriotic Front party said. He was elected to lead the copper-rich southern African country in 2015 but lost elections six years later to Hichilema, from the United Party for National Development. Since then, his wife and children have been charged with corruption and possession of suspected proceeds of crime in what the family has claimed to be part of a political vendetta. Lungu's daughter Tasila Lungu was arrested in February on money laundering charges. She was previously detained alongside her mother and sister on fraud charges in 2024. Her brother, Dalitso, is also facing corruption charges. An initial seven days of mourning for Lungu was extended by another nine days to end on June 23, the day after the government had scheduled a state funeral for. But Hichilema ended the period of mourning four days early on Thursday in reaction to the family's refusal to allow the body to return.