This development followed warnings from officials about scheduled protests intended to pressure President Emmerson Mnangagwa into resigning.
A segment within President Mnangagwa’s governing Zanu PF party itself has demanded an "uprising" against plans to prolong the 82-year-old leader's tenure by two more years once his current second and final term concludes in 2028.
In key urban centers like Harare and Bulawayo, law enforcement set up roadblocks near downtown areas and inspected certain vehicles for "dangerous weapons." As a result, traffic heading towards the heart of both Harare and Bulawayo was minimal since numerous establishments stayed shuttered.
Police officers heavily equipped with weapons swiftly scattered several small clusters of individuals who had assembled for the demonstration in downtown Harare.
The initiative for protests was spearheaded by Blessed Geza, a former high-ranking member of Zanu PF who has fallen out of favor with authorities. He is currently evading capture as law enforcement seeks to apprehend him on charges of defying President Mnangagwa’s authority. Geza has been communicating directly with Zimbabweans through social media platforms.
Mr. Geza, a seasoned veteran from Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle in the 1970s, has demanded an urgent resignation from the President due to allegations of corruption and attempts to prolong his time in office.
His faction is believed to have the backing of the military and wants Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to take over.
As protests loomed, President Mnangawas administration alleged that a "marginal faction" residing abroad aimed to instigate disorder within Zimbabwe.
"The Government of Zimbabwe unequivocally condemns terrorist activities and violent actions perpetrated by uncontrollable factions backed by a marginal group based overseas," stated Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe. He added, "These groups threatened individual lives and property through their disruptive plans; our nation's security forces remain steadfast in upholding law and order and will promptly enforce necessary measures."
Police reported on March 28th that unidentified persons were driving vehicles loaded with explosives, detonating them near establishments owned by three businesspeople previously labeled as "presidential cronies" just days prior by Mr. Geza.
Last week, amidst rising tensions regarding the proposed tenure extensions within his political party, President Mnangagwa dismissed Army Chief General Anselem Sanyatwe—Chiwengas supporter—from command.
Both individuals played crucial roles in the 2017 coup that facilitated Mnangagwa's rise to power, thereby concluding former President Robert Mugabe's lengthy 37-year tenure.
Gap among groups Brian Raftopoulos, a specialist in democracy from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, informed the Institute for Security Studies that "there is significant risk" of unrest in Zimbabwe due to the succession problem.
Dr Raftopoulos said there was a clear chasm between factions aligned to the military on one side and the President on the other because of the broken promises emanating from the coup.“President (Mnangagwa) is going to keep this under control,” he said.“And he will continue to move people he feels that he can’t trust. The long run for him is to either to contain (Gen) Chiwenga as much as possible or push him out and isolate him.“There would be disturbances and unrest, maybe even an attempt to oust (President) Mnangagwa. But whether it will be a full-blown coup attempt, I have my doubts.”President Mnangagwa last week vowed to crack down on dissent, telling a Zanu PF meeting that calls for him to step down were a “treasonous” plot driven by “chameleon-like characters.”The President has repeatedly said he will retire when his final term ends in 2028, but his loyalists insist that they will persuade him to stay in power.
Zanu PF will hold its elective congress in 2027 where it is expected to pick its next presidential candidate for the following year.
Gen Chiwenga has never publicly supported the proposal to extend President Mnangagwa’s term. He is believed to enjoy the support of the military, which engineered Mugabe’s succession in favour of the incumbent when he was forced into exile in neighbouring South Africa.
Political analysts say the military is likely to be a decisive factor in the current Zanu PF succession wars. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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