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Police hunt youth service graduates after viral video
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Zimbabwean police have identified nearly a dozen members of the National Youth Service as "persons of interest" following a viral video in which they called for the overthrow of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.
In a statement on Tuesday, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, national police spokesperson, said the graduates appeared in an "unsanctioned gathering" and are under investigation. The warning comes ahead of protests planned for October 17 by war veteran Blessed Geza, who has called on citizens to join what he terms the "Million Citizens March for Zimbabwe's Future."
In the video, a spokesperson for the youth service graduates, flanked by nine others, some in uniform, criticized the current government, referencing the 2017 military coup that ended President Robert Mugabe's tenure.
"Now to our horror, the conditions that led to the military's 2017 Operation Restore Legacy have returned twenty-fold. As trained graduates of the youth service, we call upon Zimbabweans to join us in fighting corruption," the spokesperson said.
The graduates also urged law enforcement to act within 24 hours against perceived corruption, warning that failure to act would see them take to the streets.
Geza, a former Zanu PF central committee member and vocal critic of Mnangagwa, has simultaneously sent letters calling for the arrest of high-profile businessmen — Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, and Scott Sakupwanya — accusing them of "grand corruption" and "criminal capture of the state."
He alleged Chivhayo defrauded the government of US$192.7 million through six companies, while Tagwirei was accused of diverting US$1.9 billion via Kuvimba Mining House, and Sakupwanya of presiding over a gold-related scheme allegedly siphoning between US$800 million and US$1.2 billion from state coffers.
"The avenues of accountability which your government is constitutionally mandated to uphold appear entirely compromised and unresponsive to one of the most staggering acts of brazen looting in our nation's history," Geza wrote to Mnangagwa.
The letters urged immediate prosecution, forensic audits, and international oversight where necessary, stressing that Mnangagwa's legacy would be judged on how he responds to this alleged crisis.
While Geza's previous protest calls have largely failed to gain traction, the convergence of youth groups, activists, and the timing of his latest initiative — coinciding with Zanu PF's national conference — has heightened official concern about potential unrest.
Police continue to monitor the situation as tension grows ahead of Friday's planned demonstrations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, national police spokesperson, said the graduates appeared in an "unsanctioned gathering" and are under investigation. The warning comes ahead of protests planned for October 17 by war veteran Blessed Geza, who has called on citizens to join what he terms the "Million Citizens March for Zimbabwe's Future."
In the video, a spokesperson for the youth service graduates, flanked by nine others, some in uniform, criticized the current government, referencing the 2017 military coup that ended President Robert Mugabe's tenure.
"Now to our horror, the conditions that led to the military's 2017 Operation Restore Legacy have returned twenty-fold. As trained graduates of the youth service, we call upon Zimbabweans to join us in fighting corruption," the spokesperson said.
The graduates also urged law enforcement to act within 24 hours against perceived corruption, warning that failure to act would see them take to the streets.
Geza, a former Zanu PF central committee member and vocal critic of Mnangagwa, has simultaneously sent letters calling for the arrest of high-profile businessmen — Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, and Scott Sakupwanya — accusing them of "grand corruption" and "criminal capture of the state."
He alleged Chivhayo defrauded the government of US$192.7 million through six companies, while Tagwirei was accused of diverting US$1.9 billion via Kuvimba Mining House, and Sakupwanya of presiding over a gold-related scheme allegedly siphoning between US$800 million and US$1.2 billion from state coffers.
"The avenues of accountability which your government is constitutionally mandated to uphold appear entirely compromised and unresponsive to one of the most staggering acts of brazen looting in our nation's history," Geza wrote to Mnangagwa.
The letters urged immediate prosecution, forensic audits, and international oversight where necessary, stressing that Mnangagwa's legacy would be judged on how he responds to this alleged crisis.
While Geza's previous protest calls have largely failed to gain traction, the convergence of youth groups, activists, and the timing of his latest initiative — coinciding with Zanu PF's national conference — has heightened official concern about potential unrest.
Police continue to monitor the situation as tension grows ahead of Friday's planned demonstrations.
Source - online
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