HARARE – Blessed Runesu Geza, a liberation war veteran and outspoken political activist popularly known as Cde Bombshell, has died, his family announced on Thursday.
In a statement issued on February 6, the Geza family said he passed away earlier that morning at a cardiac hospital in South Africa after a period of illness.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our hero, Cde Blessed Runesu Geza, popularly known as Cde Bombshell,” the family said. “He left us this morning at a cardiac hospital in South Africa.”
Geza had emerged as one of the most vocal critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in recent years, using social media broadcasts to accuse the President and senior government officials of what he described as industrial-scale corruption. In January 2025, he revealed that he was battling cancer, a condition he had kept private while mounting his political campaign.
After authorities prepared to charge him with treason, Geza fled Zimbabwe for South Africa. During that period, his wife, Roseline Tawengwa, was detained and questioned by police, while his home in Sanyati was petrol-bombed under circumstances that remain unresolved.
From exile, Geza called for nationwide strikes aimed at forcing Mnangagwa from office. The protests failed to gain sustained traction after the government deployed security forces and dozens of activists were arrested.
In his final public message posted shortly after 5AM Central Africa Time on February 6, Geza told followers he feared he would not live to see political change in Zimbabwe, writing that he was “in pain that I might not see the new Zimbabwe after Emmerson.” The post was widely interpreted as a farewell, as he acknowledged that illness had overtaken him.
In that message, Geza urged Zimbabweans not to abandon the struggle against corruption and repression, calling on them to transform fear into resolve. He defended his political activism as a continuation of the liberation struggle, arguing that the ideals fought for during the war had been betrayed by post-independence leadership.
The Geza family has appealed for dignity and restraint during the mourning period, warning against unauthorised fundraising initiatives.
“We are aware some people would want to cash in on his death, and we encourage Zimbabweans to ignore any call for GoFundMe towards his funeral,” the family said, adding that official funeral arrangements and a designated family spokesperson would be announced in due course.
Geza is remembered by supporters as a fierce and uncompromising critic of corruption, and by opponents as a polarising figure whose rhetoric challenged the foundations of the current political order. His death closes a turbulent chapter in Zimbabwe’s recent political discourse, but his final words have already been taken up by followers as a call to continue the fight he claimed he could no longer wage himself.
Funeral details are expected to be released in the coming days.
