A national protest aimed at forcing Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign instead resulted in a widespread shutdown as citizens stayed home rather than demonstrating in the face of heavy security deployments.
The planned march, organized by disgruntled war veterans accusing Mnangagwa of corruption and power-clinging, saw minimal participation with only a handful of protesters appearing before being quickly dispersed by police.
After reports of low turnout emerged, protest leader Blessed Geza challenged Zimbabweans “not to be cowards” in a social media post on X. Geza had previously called for citizens to “fill the streets” in what he described as a final push to remove the president.
Mnangagwa, who assumed power in 2017 following a coup against long-time leader Robert Mugabe, is currently serving his second and final term in office.
The protest organizers, particularly Geza, have expressed support for Vice-President Constantine Chiwenga to replace Mnangagwa as the country’s leader.
Throughout the day, numerous videos circulated on social media platforms documenting the events. One video showed police using teargas to disperse a gathering at President Robert Mugabe Square in Harare. In another recording, a woman criticized police efforts to suppress what she called a “peaceful protest” while declaring “we’re not going anywhere, we’re going to stay here.”
“I am 63 and life is tough…I am taking care of my grandchildren because my children cannot afford to,” an elderly protester using crutches told local media outlet Citizens Voice Network. She added, “We want General [Constantine] Chiwenga to take over.”
The shutdown reflects the tense political climate in Zimbabwe, where economic challenges continue to burden citizens while opposition to Mnangagwa’s leadership remains present despite limited visible public demonstration.
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