A national protest intended to persuade Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign evolved into a shutdown as citizens chose to stay home rather than take to the streets in the face of heavy security.
Only a few protestors participated in the scheduled march, which was led by a group of unhappy war veterans who have accused Mnangagwa of corruption and attempting to retain power, and they were removed by police.
Following reports of low participation, protest leader Blessed Geza implored Zimbabweans “not to be cowards” in a post on X.
Mnangagwa became president in 2017 after a coup against long-time leader Robert Mugabe, and he is currently completing his second and last term.
Geza, who wants Vice-President Constantine Chiwenga to replace Mnangagwa, had earlier called for Zimbabweans to “fill the streets” in a final push to force the president to step down.
Numerous videos were shared on social media throughout the day, and in one, police can be seen using teargas to disperse a crowd gathered at President Robert Mugabe Square in Harare.
In another, a woman details the police’s efforts to clamp down on what was regarded as a “peaceful” demonstration.
“I am 63, and life is tough… I am taking care of my grandchildren because my children cannot afford to,” a protester on crutches also told reporters.
“We want General [Constantine] Chiwenga to take over,” she added.
The vice president has not responded publicly to calls to replace Mnangagwa, and government officials deny that the two men are at odds.
In response to Monday’s low attendance, Farai Murapira of the ruling Zanu-PF party stated that social media did not accurately reflect reality.
But political scientist Ibbo Mandaza said those who criticised the turnout were mistaken.
“The shutdown was a massive political statement,” he said.
Across many cities and towns, the bulk of businesses were closed, leaving streets devoid of the typical bustle of street vendors and choking traffic.
Schools were closed, and public transit was scarce as scared locals chose to avoid the mayhem.
The police increased security by erecting roadblocks into Harare and conducting daylong patrols on foot and in trucks through the city core. They were also spotted retrieving rocks and cement blocks thrown by protesters.
The country’s clergy has already urged people to remain calm, warning that unrest might undermine an already vulnerable country.
A petrol station attendant told the BBC in low tones that regular citizens did not want the country to descend into civil conflict.
The newest protest centres on the Zimbabwean president’s rumoured plan to extend his final term by two years, to 2030. Mnangagwa’s second term ends in 2028.
Despite the fact that Zimbabwe’s constitution limits presidential tenure to two five-year terms, his followers have adopted the slogan “2030: he will still be the leader”.
Despite the president’s latest pledge that he intends to step aside in three years, many remain sceptical.
Geza, a veteran of the 1970s war of liberation and former senior Zanu-PF member, has led a verbal attack on Mnangagwa.
In a series of often expletive-laden press conferences, he repeatedly calls on the 82-year-old Zimbabwean president to leave or face removal.
