Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa, Blessed Geza and the drama of succession

Zimbabwe's leader faces a backlash from key allies over efforts to extend his time in office.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersA man called Bombshell fires up Zimbabwe's succession battle14 hours agoShareSaveShingai NyokaBBC News, HarareShareSaveBlessed Geza / FacebookBlessed "Bombshell" Geza has gone into hiding and been expelled from the ruling party for his outspoken remarksA long convoy of armoured personnel tanks rolling through a Harare neighbourhood sparked concerns - for a brief moment - that a military coup was afoot in Zimbabwe.

"What's going on in Zimbabwe?" one person posted on social media. Another said: "The last time this happened there was a coup."

Government spokesman Nick Mangwana was quick to allay the public's fears, explaining the tanks were in the capital that mid-February morning as part of a scheduled exercise to test equipment and were "nothing to be concerned about".

Yet the chatter and speculation continued, revealing much about the state of the country.

Ahead of the routine military drill, President Emmerson Mnangagwa had, for the first time since becoming president in 2017, faced harsh criticism about his leadership from within his Zanu-PF party with calls for him to step down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdel6e9570jo

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