Zimbabwe: Business As Usual in Harare As Geza’s Stay Away Is Ignored
Residents of Harare ignored war veteran Blesses Geza’s call for a stay away on Tuesday, with most businesses operating as usual.
From as early as 5 am, commuter omnibuses were touting for commuters, most of whom are vendors headed to Harare’s main vegetable market in Mbare.
There was no indication of any change in Dzivarasekwa Extension, Madokero, Westlea and Warren Park, Waterfalls, Greendale and Chitungwiza when NewZimbabwe.com toured.
The same applied in the Central Business District (CBD) and areas such as Westgate, Rugare and the heavily populated Mbare high-density.
“We cannot afford to stay away even if we wanted to,” said a vendor in Warren Park who sells cigarettes, chips and soft drinks.
“Everyone understands what Geza is saying and agrees with him that only a few are living off Zimbabwe’s wealth but most of us are not formally employed, we eat what we kill on a daily basis.
“If he intends to have people support his cause, he should take a different approach.”
Vendors went about their business while most of the supermarkets in town were open.
The government had earlier warned civil servants not to stay at home and promised punishment for any of them who would choose to respect Geza’s call.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Paul Nyathi assured citizens and exhibitors at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo of their safety.
Geza, the man who has risked it all by taking confronting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and demanding that he steps down, on March 31 called for a protest cum stay away.
Most businesses chose to stay shut while a significant number protested on the streets of Harare.
He is in hiding but maintains that Mnangagwa knows where he is.
“We did not go to war so that Mnangagwa and his corrupt colleagues enjoy. We went to war for every Zimbabwean,” he once again said when announcing the Tuesday and Wednesday stay away.
Geza finds himself at the centre of factional fights within the ruling Zanu PF party.
Some sections within the party, mainly from Mnangagwa’s Masvingo province, are calling for him to hang on beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms up to 2030.
The other faction, allegedly in support of Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga, wants him to hand over power in 2028.
By New Zimbabwe.
