Blessed ‘Bombshell’ Geza: Vocal Mnangagwa critic dies in South Africa

By Staff Reporter

• Zimbabwean war veteran Blessed Runesu “Bombshell” Geza has died.
• Geza, a former Zanu-PF Central Committee member, opposed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term extension and faced charges of incitement and terrorism before fleeing to South Africa.
• His death sparked polarised reactions, with supporters hailing him as a hero and critics labelling him reckless and chaotic.

Outspoken, controversial Zimbabwean war veteran Blessed Runesu “Bombshell” Geza, 73, at the centre of a movement calling for the removal of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, died in the early hours of Friday at a Johannesburg hospital.

His eldest son, Fortune Geza, confirmed to News24 that his father had been in hospital for close to 10 days before referring to the official family statement, which indicated that he died at a cardio hospital.

Last year, Geza, then a member of the ruling Zanu-PF’s Central Committee – a key decision-making body of the party – broke ranks with a motion that sought to extend Mnangagwa’s term by two years.

In the months leading up to his death, Geza had been on the state’s wanted list.

Following a series of explosive, expletive-laden press conferences in early 2025 where he attacked the president and his allies, Geza fled to South Africa.

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Back home, he faced multiple criminal charges, including allegations of inciting violence, undermining the authority of the president, and terrorism related to his calls for mass protests to force out Mnangagwa.

On Thursday night, seemingly aware that he was running out of time, he wrote an emotional goodbye letter announcing his imminent demise and urging Zimbabweans to fight on X.

He wrote:

Fellow Zimbabweans, I come to you at this unusual hour, my heart heavy with sorrow. I am in pain that I might not see the new Zimbabwe… but I take solace in the hope that you will continue the faith for a free and prosperous nation – the Zimbabwe I fiercely fought for.”

Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the Transform Zimbabwe political party, said Geza was a true revolutionary.

“This man was courageous and embodied the true spirit of Zimbabwe nationalism. A genuine hero through to his death,” he said.

On social media, the reaction to news of his death was immediate and polarised, reflecting his complex legacy.

To his supporters, he was a “true and genuine hero” who spoke from the heart, a rare voice within the Zanu-PF corridors willing to fight against a “broken” system.

For those who didn’t like him, he was a “chaotic”, often reckless figure whose “delusional rumblings” made him a liability.

Below is the full family statement …