Mutsvangwa Backs National Hero Burial for Late War Veteran Blessed Geza Despite Rift with Mnangagwa

Cde Bombshell Geza

Harare — Senior Zanu-PF figure Christopher Mutsvangwa has said liberation war veteran Blessed Geza, who died in exile in South Africa last Friday, should be granted a national hero’s burial, despite his highly publicised political fallout with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Geza, a former Zanu-PF Member of Parliament and Central Committee official, died with treason allegations still pending after he helped mobilise anti-government protests last year, calling for Mnangagwa’s removal from office. While the demonstrations did not succeed, they caused significant national disruption, with over a dozen activists remaining in detention and others forced to flee the country.

Geza’s death has exposed divisions within the ruling party, and Mutsvangwa’s remarks represent the first public position taken by a senior Zanu-PF leader since his passing.

“Among war veterans and within the party, there is a shared view that he was a comrade who stumbled near the end,” Mutsvangwa said.

He suggested Geza’s political break with the party was influenced by declining health.

“He was unwell and not thinking clearly, which made him susceptible to people seeking to manipulate Zimbabwe’s liberation history,” Mutsvangwa said. “We are receiving him back. His contribution to the liberation struggle remains intact regardless of recent events.”

Mutsvangwa said war veterans would campaign to ensure Geza’s liberation credentials are safeguarded, arguing they cannot be erased by political disagreements. He added that efforts were underway to ensure Geza receives a respectful burial and that immediate assistance would be extended to his widow, Roseline Tawengwa. Mutsvangwa expressed optimism that President Mnangagwa would eventually authorise burial arrangements appropriate for a liberation war veteran.

Geza became a prominent national figure in January 2025 after announcing on a YouTube platform that he and a group of war veterans were withdrawing their support for Mnangagwa, accusing the President of corruption and poor governance. He later left Zimbabwe and continued broadcasting from exile, drawing widespread attention and triggering what analysts described as one of the most serious internal challenges to Mnangagwa’s leadership since taking power.

Mutsvangwa, without presenting evidence, claimed Geza had been influenced by individuals associated with the late former President Robert Mugabe’s Generation 40 (G40) faction.

“Why target someone with liberation credentials instead of finding anyone else?” Mutsvangwa asked. “They tried to appropriate his history. Zanu-PF rejects the theft of liberation history.”

Whether President Mnangagwa will ultimately approve national hero status for Geza remains uncertain, given the depth of their political split and Geza’s role in mobilising protests that represented a rare internal challenge to the ruling party’s leadership.

Blessed Geza death