Harare, (New Ziana) –Zimbabweans across the country ignored a call by expelled ZANU-PF central committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza for an indefinite nationwide shutdown and went about their business as usual on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Geza, who has been rabidly criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa since January this year, had urged citizens to stay away from work in his bid to unconstitutionally remove an elected government.

Initially Geza called on Zimbabweans to go into the streets on March 31 this year to force President Mnangagwa into stepping down immediately and, instead of heeding the call, the people chose instead to stay indoors, forcing an unintended national shutdown.

After noticing that his call for street protests had been ignored, and in an attempt to gauge whether he commanded the support of the people, Geza tried to ride on the inadvertent March 31 stayaway and called for an indefinite shutdown to force political change.

His shenanigans however fell flat as public transporters ferried commuters into the cities and towns where businesses, shops, and government offices were open as on all normal working days.

In Harare, the streets were filled with people including the usual vendors, as normal activities continued uninterrupted amid guarantees of security by law enforcement agencies.

Similarly, in Bulawayo, the country’s second-largest city, markets, factories and transport systems operated without disruption while reports from other urban centers, including Mutare in Manicaland province, Gweru in the Midlands, and Masvingo, indicated that there was no noticeable response to the shutdown call.

The government dismissed the attempted shutdown as a non-event, with Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere stating that Zimbabweans were focused on productive activities rather than disruptive politics.

“The people of Zimbabwe are hardworking and law-abiding. They will not be swayed by individuals with selfish agendas,” he said.

New Ziana