Zimbabwe police said they arrested 95 demonstrators on charges of promoting “public violence” and “peace violation” who participated in Monday’s protests demanding President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s resignation.
Officials said they identified individuals through social media posts and a WhatsApp team and on the scene in the capital Harare.
Few people participate in demonstrations because citizens choose to stay away rather than take to the streets in a serious security presence.
The protests were summoned by the veteran of Zanu-PF party, the blessed Geza.
He shouted out opposing factional actions to bring the president after the end of his second term in 2028.
Geza hopes Vice President Constantine Chiwenga to replace Mnangagwa, who had asked Zimbabweans to “fill the streets” with the final push to force the president to resign.
Zimbabwean police are often accused of using violence to break down protests.
Many videos were shared on social media throughout Monday. In one, police can be seen using tear gas to disperse crowds gathered in Harare President Robert Mugabe Square.
In another woman, one woman details the police efforts to cut what is seen as a “peaceful protest” because she vowed “we won’t go anywhere, we will stay here.”
“I’m 63 years old and life is hard…I’m taking care of my grandson because my kids can’t afford it.” The protester of the cane also told the local media House Citizen Voice Network.
“We want to be a normal one [Constantine] Chiwenga takes over. ” she added.
Zimbabweans are largely away from protests aimed at overthrowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa [AFP]
The vice president has not yet publicly commented on his call for replacement of Mnangagwa, while government officials denied that there was a rift between the two.
In response to Monday’s low turnout, Farai Murapira of Zanu-PF party said social media is not a reflection of reality.
But political scientist Ibbo Mandaza said those who devalue turnout are wrong.
“The shutdown is a huge political statement,” he said.
In various cities and towns, most businesses were closed, with empty street vendors and a hustle and bustle of traffic. Schools are closed and public transport is insufficient as the terrible residents choose to avoid potential chaos.
Police have strengthened safety throughout the day, incorporated barricades into Harare and hiked on foot in the city center for patrols and trucks. They were also seen removing the stones and being thrown by the protesters.
Since then, clergy in the country has called for cool minds as it warns that unrest may destroy an already vulnerable country.
The waiter at the petrol station told the BBC in a quiet voice that the average person did not want the country to slide into the civil war.
At the heart of the recent protests is a report by the president to extend the last term to 2030. Mnangagwa’s second term expires three years from now.
Although Zimbabwe’s constitution limits the presidency to two five-year terms, his supporters have also shared the slogan “He remains a leader in 2030”.
Although the president recently promised his intention to resign within three years, many still don’t believe it.
This angered Geza, a veteran of the 1970s Liberation War, and also irritated former senior Zanu-PF members, who led the verbal attack on Mnangagwa.
On a series of often-choosy press conferences, he repeatedly called on the 82-year-old president to remove or face to face.
Other reports by Khanyisile Ngcobo in Johannesburg
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