By Jamers Gwati-In what appears to be a clear sign of panic, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has issued a stern warning against participation in a planned two-day national shutdown led by ex-combatant Blessed Geza, also known as “Cde Bombshell.”
The shutdown, set for Tuesday and Wednesday—April 22 and 23—is Geza’s latest attempt to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of office.
It follows last month’s protests in Harare, which saw over 100 people arrested in what was widely viewed as the first wave of visible resistance against Mnangagwa’s authoritarian rule.
Despite these arrests and a warrant out for his own arrest, Geza remains defiant, calling on Zimbabweans to stay at home in a peaceful show of disobedience.
“This is to send a strong message to Mnangagwa and his zvigananda,” Geza said in a viral online broadcast. “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 statement Monday, the ZRP said it had deployed officers nationwide to maintain law and order, particularly in urban centres, residential areas, and industrial zones.
Although the police did not explicitly name Geza or the shutdown, their language left little doubt.
“In this regard, the police will arrest anyone who interferes with the smooth flow of traffic and the movement of the public,” the statement reads.
The police also warned citizens against “abusing social media” and urged them to ignore what they called “social media postings meant to cause chaos and alarm in the country.”
The timing of the ZRP’s response appears designed to reassure both local and international visitors expected at this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo, which coincides with the planned protests.
But critics say the authorities’ hardline stance reflects a government increasingly afraid of its own citizens.
With the economy in freefall, widespread corruption, and a collapsing public service, discontent is rising—and fast.
Geza’s call to action has struck a chord, especially with unemployed youths, frustrated civil servants, and disillusioned war veterans.
From hiding, he has continued to rally support through social media, describing the stay-away as one of the few remaining peaceful tools left for resisting Zimbabwe’s authoritarian drift.
“Mnangagwa has captured the judiciary and suspended Parliament at will,” Geza said. “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.”
Since seizing power in a 2017 military coup, Mnangagwa has promised a “Second Republic” and a break from Robert Mugabe’s repressive legacy.
But nearly eight years later, those promises have faded into disillusionment.
The Zimbabwean dollar has collapsed. Inflation is rampant. Basic goods are unaffordable for the majority. Salaries—especially in the public sector—are eroded within days of being paid.
Corruption scandals involving COVID-19 funds, gold smuggling, and shady procurement deals have gone unpunished, with many of the alleged perpetrators linked to Mnangagwa’s inner circle. Meanwhile, journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition activists continue to face arrest, harassment, and persecution.
The President is also accused of dismantling key democratic institutions to cement his grip on power. Parliament has been sidelined.
The judiciary is stacked with loyalists. Promised electoral reforms have not materialized.
And the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) remains discredited after overseeing elections tainted by irregularities, voter suppression, and allegations of rigging.
Internally, ZANU PF is increasingly divided. Behind Mnangagwa’s strongman persona lies a party riven by factionalism.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga—who led the 2017 coup—is said to be quietly consolidating his influence within both the military and the party, sparking growing tensions ahead of the next ZANU PF congress.
In his Independence Day address on April 18 in Gokwe, Mnangagwa issued a thinly veiled threat to social media activists accused of “inciting unrest”—a clear jab at Geza and others who have been using digital platforms to mobilize resistance.
But Geza remains undeterred.
“I’m pleading with you to stay home,” he said in a final rallying cry. “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.”