Zim GBC News | Crimes and Courts
National police have identified nearly a dozen National Youth Service graduates as “persons of interest” following a viral video in which they called for the fall of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, signaling rising tensions ahead of a protest march called for October 17 by war veteran Blessed Geza.
In a statement on Tuesday, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the development, stating:
“Reference is made to a video that has gone viral on social media platforms, in which some members of the Zimbabwe National Youth Service Graduates Association are engaged in an unsanctioned gathering. These members are persons of interest.”
The police warning comes as Geza, a former Zanu PF central committee member turned vocal government critic, has urged citizens to join what he terms the “Million Citizens March for Zimbabwe’s Future” on Friday. The protest call has cast a shadow over Zanu PF’s annual conference currently underway in Mutare, scheduled to run from October 13 to 18.
In the controversial video, a spokesman for the youth service graduates – flanked by nine others, some wearing uniform – made bold declarations about the current political situation.
“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 speaker declared.
He added:
“We are encouraged that the vice president (Constantino Chiwenga) has called for the arrest of these corrupt individuals. We are giving law enforcement 24 hours to act. If it fails, we will go into the streets – all Zimbabweans must reaffirm that Zimbabwe does not belong to one person but to all of us.”
In a series of letters dated October 11 and posted on his X account, Geza and a group identifying as the Concerned Citizens of the Republic of Zimbabwe appealed directly to President Mnangagwa to order the arrest of businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo and Scott Sakupwanya over alleged “grand corruption” and “criminal capture of the state.”
Geza accused the trio of looting billions of dollars from public coffers through government contracts, mining deals and opaque financial arrangements, demanding their immediate arrest, prosecution and asset forfeiture.
“We are compelled to address you not out of malice, but from a place of profound national duty and deep-seated concern for the future of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” Geza wrote in his letters.
He detailed specific allegations, claiming Chivhayo defrauded the government of US$192,761,700 through six companies linked to inflated or non-existent government contracts. Regarding Tagwirei, Geza alleged he masterminded the “fraudulent extraction of US$1.9 billion” through Kuvimba Mining House, diverting state-owned mining assets into private hands.
On Sakupwanya, Geza claimed the Zanu PF MP presided over a “sophisticated financial fraud scheme” that siphoned between US$800 million and US$1.2 billion from the treasury.
“The people of Zimbabwe are watching,” Geza warned in his conclusion.
“Act decisively to end this grand corruption and ensure justice is served.”
While Geza’s previous calls for nationwide protests have largely failed to gain significant traction, the timing of this latest mobilization – coinciding with Zanu PF’s conference and amid reported tensions within the party leadership – together with the unusual police statement, indicates growing official concern about the convergence of disaffected youth groups and activists ahead of the planned demonstrations.
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