Street tyre traders ordered to remove stockpiles fearing they could be burnt to barricade roads during planned March 31 protests

STREET-SIDE tyre vendors in Harare have been ordered to relocate stock from their makeshift stalls by the police in fear of protestors, who they argue might decide to forcibly take and burn them during demonstrations set for next Monday, March 31, 2025.

The move, confirmed by vendors in Kambuzuma, adds to news that bars in Chitungwiza have been ordered to close earlier than their usual times for similar reasons.

News crew has it on good authority that State security agencies, comprising the police and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), have been put on high alert ahead of the protests.

The impending protests, called for by war veterans led by Blessed ‘Bombshell’ Geza, are meant to force the resignation of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom they accuse of entertaining gross corruption by his close associates.

“We have been told to move most of our tyres from stalls and keep them away from them by the police,” said a vendor who sought to sell some of his products to this reporter.

“They are now doing rounds raiding anyone who has not taken the tyres off their stalls as March 31 approaches. The fear, as told by one of the officers, is that protestors will take and burn them.”

Tyres are usually burnt and used to barricade roads during protests, as was witnessed in the January 2019 and August 1 demonstrations.

In the populous Chitungwiza suburb, some bar employees in Zengeza 2 confirmed that they had been told to close shop between 8 pm and 9 pm in what one operator described as an ‘illegal curfew.’

Truckloads of officers deployed to enforce such orders have been spotted numerous times.

“Most of the bars have been told to close between 8 pm and 9 pm in an unsanctioned curfew we do not support,” said an imbiber, who requested anonymity.

Mnangagwa is battling to avoid a repeat of events he led in 2017 that forced late President Robert Mugabe’s eventual resignation.

With the help of war veterans and the military, Mnangagwa convinced millions of Zimbabweans to march and unseat Mugabe in a manner similar to that which Geza is pursuing.

Geza has, over the past weeks, been laying into Mnangagwa and propping up his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, whom he says will deal with corrupt elements that have captured the presidency and government.

He has named over five local businessmen, all of whom he accuses of illegally benefiting from government tenders.

The same individuals were derogatorily labelled as ‘Zvigananda’ by Chiwenga.

Geza is wanted by the police but has remained on the run since the arrest of journalist Blessed Mhlanga for interviewing and broadcasting their conversation.

“I am being protected by people because I stand for people’s wishes,” said the man who was known as Bombshell during Zimbabwe’s war for liberation. NewZimbabwe