War Veteran and former Sanyati member of parliament Blessed Geza has become the talk of the town in recent weeks.
Geza is currently the hero in certain corners, especially within the political landscape, and more so among some neutrals.
The downtrodden masses in Zimbabwe, who have been longing for a ‘savior,’ can argue that they have found one in Blessed Runesu Geza.
Geza has been at the forefront lately challenging the notion of extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office outside the legally confined two terms when his tenure lapses in 2028.
In fact, Geza now demands President Mnangagwa to step down with immediate effect arguing that he has presided over the total political and economic collapse of the country.
The sudden rise of Geza and his colleagues of disgruntled war veterans have also – understandably – divided opinion especially regarding the authenticity of their resistance which has been termed The Geza Revolution.
But in the event that it is veritable that Blessed Geza is not genuine or that everyone should stay away from this debacle because Zanu PF is just seeking to renew itself again, the question which follows is what is the current plan to stop the 3rd term brigade by the alternative.
If truly Zanu PF is at its weakest point as some presume, why are the genuine ones not taking advantage?
Where are they in all this wave of confusion?
Forget the fact that Geza spent five years as a legislator without contributing anything of substance to Sanyati and parliament, at the moment he is an icon.
Cde Bombshell is hot property and to some extent untouchable (only time will tell).
Good advice to those occupying the levers of power is that they should tread carefully on the terrain when dealing with a character like Geza, as they are being baited into making the wrong move.
Popular singer Winky D once sang that when two bulls from the same kraal fight, it is wise not to pick a side.
The consequences of picking a side are that you may be left with egg on your face when these warring bulls choose peace.
In some instances, they may even turn on you, or the losses can be dire if you bet on the losing bull.
This is true about Zanu PF factional fights in all historical instances both pro-independence and post-independence.
One obvious historical case is the Zanu PF factional battle which eventually culminated into the infamous November 2017 de facto coup and the departure of Robert Mugabe.
Everyone was coerced into believing that it was an inclusive event until one Patrick Chinamasa remarked that this was a Zanu PF goat to skin.
Back then, they talked about restoration which included curbing corruption as well as improving the welfare of the people except that just like all the Zanu PF economic blueprints, the message was good only on paper.
Fast forward to 2025, it is no surprise that the more things change, the more they stay the same – the ruling party is at crossroads again.
The issue of succession has become a problem again, emanating from power-hungry antics, by one faction under the banner ED for 2030 – calling for the amendment of the Zimbabwe constitution to allow a Mnangagwa life presidency.
This misguided call has divided Zanu PF even though openly they are still in denial – the rise of Blessed Geza – is a clear sign of a storm brewing.
It is in the wake of this wave that some have called for caution, especially considering that the message from this aggrieved group seems familiar and enticing.
Indeed, the Geza revolution can only be genuine if citizens are not distracted by the skills of the player and forget that the main goal is to win the game, apart from entertainment.
The bigger picture is about real transformation and implementation of reforms that will usher the country into the new great Zimbabwe that everyone has been desiring for a while.
Reforms can only be a reality if the citizenry speaks with one voice and does not allow politicians to outmaneuver them by hijacking the process of real change.
It is noble to say that the Geza revolution as some call it, can only be genuine if it truly calls for Zanu PF to go.
Zanu PF represents intolerance, corruption, incompetence, nepotism, tribalism, the collapse of healthcare, marginalization, and more.
Corruption
Corruption in Zimbabwe has become a cancer. Corruption is killing us.
According to government figures, Zimbabwe loses around $2 billion annually due to corruption.
When one factors in how some figures are recorded in this country then it cannot be a surprise when the common belief is that the sum may be higher than reported.
There are a lot of corrupt activities taking place within government systems and nothing significant has been done to address this rot.
ZACC has become synonymous with its endless investigations which lead to nothing.
The police force is among the leading corrupt institutions through the problem of bribes though this can be attributed to poor remuneration of law enforcement agents caused by major corrupt initiatives at the top of the pyramid.
At one point $15 billion was reportedly missing from diamond mining and nothing happened to bring closure to this case.
In a certain year, a Public Accounts Committee reported that around $3 billion was misused under the Command Agriculture programme.
A number of corruption cases can be cited here to prove that Zimbabwe is probably among the leading pack of most corrupt countries in Africa.
It is refreshing that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been on record speaking against incessant corruption though it is disappointing that these have just been mere words without any tangible action taken.
Economy
The economy of Zimbabwe has been dysfunctional for a long time and though the ruling party has attributed it to sanctions, a glimpse of the level of corruption mentioned above can settle the matter on what is the main cause of this downturn.
Companies have been closing at an alarming rate due to unfavorable policies and hostile economic environment.
The unemployment rate has been soaring and it is not worth mentioning the figures because it is embarrassing.
The local currency which the ruling party has held on to since it necessitates looting through direct control of the fiscus and playing around foreign currency reserves has been losing value at a record shattering pace.
The majority of the people are suffering and struggling to make ends meet. Only a few are making it.
And while some have been calling for a third term for Mnangagwa based on a mythical narrative of a growing economy and ongoing development – the truth is that the economy is dead.
Health and Infrastructure
The deplorable health care in Zimbabwe makes a sad narration.
People are dying due to lack of medication, medical apparatus as well as medical practitioners.
There are no working x-ray machines or radiotherapy machines in most hospitals.
Some hospitals – only paracetamols – are available as prescription.
The few doctors you can meet in public hospitals if you are fortunate enough, do not have sufficient basic medical items such as gloves or bandages to use.
A viral picture recently of an accident victim with a broken hand in cardboard box instead of a bandage lying on a bed with no mattress further validated this case.
While the health sector has collapsed, those entrusted with power are currently making overtures to permanently consolidate it.
The health sector of Zimbabwe needs less than a billion annually to function properly yet more is lost to corruption.
The ones in power don’t care about the welfare of the majority because they receive treatment abroad whenever they have medical issues.
On the part of infrastructure, roads have become death traps as seen by the high volume of accidents lately due to their poor conditions even though negligent driving can be partly blamed.
On the side of education, some kids are attending schools under trees or sitting on rocks – this is not fiction but sad reality.
If one wants to talk about the energy sector, electricity has become scarce with loadshedding becoming persistency due to inadequate infrastructure to generate enough power despite the government awarding a tender to some company years to mitigate this problem.
To date nothing has been done by the company awarded the tender.
City councils are just playgrounds of corruption with poor service delivery and absence of proper water sanitation due to lack infrastructure decay and poor future planning.
Yet in all this madness, there are some who believe President Mnangagwa should be given more time by amending the constitution.
In all this, one can be forgiven for picking sides in this Zanu PF factional war by pinning hope on this Geza revolution.
- Wilson Chipangura is a little boy from the village and a passionate citizen of this sleeping giant of Africa. He can be contacted via email: heavmany@gmail.com or X on @wils_chipangura for any interaction.
