Harare closes when Bless Geza asks Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign

A national protest aimed at pressing the president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to give up a closure when citizens chose to stay away instead of going out to the streets in the middle of a strong presence of security.

Only a handful of protesters participated in the planned march, headed by a group of discontent war veterans who accused Mnangagwa of corruption and wanting to hold on to power, and the police dispersed them.

After the reports of a low participation, the protest leader blessed Geza urged the Zimbabuenses “not to be cowards” in an X publication.

Mnangagwa became president in 2017 after a coup against the leader of a long time Robert Mugabe and is currently fulfilling his second and final term.

Geza, who wants Vice President Constantine Chiwenga to replace Mnangagwa, had previously asked that the Zimbabuenses “fill the streets” in a final thrust to force the president to go down.

Numerous videos on social networks were shared throughout the day and in one, you can see the police using tear gas to disperse a crowd gathered in President Robert Mugabe Square in Harare.

In another, a woman details police efforts to tighten what was considered a “peaceful protest” as she promised “we will not go anywhere, we will stay here.”

“I am 63 years old and life is hard … I am taking care of my grandchildren because my children can not afford,” said a manta on the Network Citizens Voice Network.

“We want the general (Constantine) Chiwenga to take over,” he added.

The vice president has not publicly commented on the calls to replace Mnangagwa and government officials deny that there is a crack between the two men.

When reacting to the low participation of Monday, Farai Murapira of the Zanu-PF ruling party said that social networks were not a reflection of reality.

But political scientist Ibboza said that those who belittled the participation were wrong.

“The closure was a massive political statement,” he said.

In several cities and towns, most of the companies were closed and the streets were emptied of the usual bustle of street vendors and asphyxiation traffic. Closed schools and public transport were scarce since fearful residents chose to avoid chaos.

The police hardened security, riding obstacles in Harare and performing patrols on foot and trucks in the city center throughout the day. They were also seen eliminating the stones and cement blocks thrown by protesters.

Since then, the country’s clergy has asked for cold heads, since it warned that riots could destabilize an already fragile country.

An assistant to the service station told the BBC in a silent voice that common people did not want the country to slide in the civil war.

In the heart of the recent protest there is a plan reported by the president to extend his last mandate in two years until 2030. The second mandate of Mnangagwa expires in 2028.

The slogan “2030 The leader” will be the leader “has been shared by his followers despite the fact that the Zimbabwe’s Constitution limits the presidential terms to two terms of five years.

Despite the president’s recent guarantee that he intended to resign in three years, many remain unvolved.

This has angry Geza, a veteran of the 1970s liberation war and a former member of Senior Zanu-PF, who has led a verbal attack against Mnangagwa.

In a series of press conferences often imprisoned, with sandy voice and with an frowning front, he repeatedly asked the 82 -year -old president to go or face each other.