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Blessed Geza declared Zanu-PF liberation war hero
2 hrs ago |
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BLESSED Geza, the outspoken liberation war veteran who broke ranks with the ruling establishment to publicly demand President Emmerson Mnangagwa's immediate resignation, has been declared a liberation war hero.
Geza died last week in South Africa, where he had been living in hiding after emerging as one of the most vocal critics of the Mnangagwa administration.
His death came with treason-related allegations still hanging over his head, following a period of sustained online activism that sharply criticised government corruption, economic decline and what he described as constitutional backsliding.
Geza rose to national prominence through a series of widely circulated YouTube broadcasts titled "Fellow Zimbabweans", in which he directly addressed citizens and called for political change. The videos gained significant traction both inside Zimbabwe and in the diaspora, positioning him as an unexpected but influential dissenting voice from within the liberation war veterans' ranks.
Last year, Geza went further by urging Zimbabweans to observe two national shutdowns as a form of protest. The calls triggered a heavy security response, with police and soldiers deployed across major cities and towns. Scores of activists were arrested, while others fled into exile, including Geza himself.
Despite his fallout with the Mnangagwa-led Zanu-PF leadership, sources said his liberation war credentials have now been formally recognised, paving the way for a burial befitting a liberation war hero.
Details surrounding the burial arrangements were still being finalised at the time of publication. Family members are reportedly preparing to travel to South Africa to repatriate his body.
It remains to be seen whether the declaration will translate into official national hero status, which requires presidential approval, or whether Geza will be accorded liberation war hero recognition within war veterans' structures.
Geza's death has continued to generate strong reactions across the political divide, with supporters hailing him as a fearless patriot and critics within the ruling party previously accusing him of being manipulated by political forces opposed to the government.
His legacy, like his life in recent years, remains deeply contested.
Geza died last week in South Africa, where he had been living in hiding after emerging as one of the most vocal critics of the Mnangagwa administration.
His death came with treason-related allegations still hanging over his head, following a period of sustained online activism that sharply criticised government corruption, economic decline and what he described as constitutional backsliding.
Geza rose to national prominence through a series of widely circulated YouTube broadcasts titled "Fellow Zimbabweans", in which he directly addressed citizens and called for political change. The videos gained significant traction both inside Zimbabwe and in the diaspora, positioning him as an unexpected but influential dissenting voice from within the liberation war veterans' ranks.
Last year, Geza went further by urging Zimbabweans to observe two national shutdowns as a form of protest. The calls triggered a heavy security response, with police and soldiers deployed across major cities and towns. Scores of activists were arrested, while others fled into exile, including Geza himself.
Details surrounding the burial arrangements were still being finalised at the time of publication. Family members are reportedly preparing to travel to South Africa to repatriate his body.
It remains to be seen whether the declaration will translate into official national hero status, which requires presidential approval, or whether Geza will be accorded liberation war hero recognition within war veterans' structures.
Geza's death has continued to generate strong reactions across the political divide, with supporters hailing him as a fearless patriot and critics within the ruling party previously accusing him of being manipulated by political forces opposed to the government.
His legacy, like his life in recent years, remains deeply contested.
Source - newzimbabwe
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