The NewsHawks reported that a state security official dealing with the current situation, including the planned March 31 protests, said that people may be the biggest losers again in the latest round of the ZANU PF succession battle.

The official, who was not named for professional and security reasons, is quoted as saying:

This is an internal ZANU PF matter, with legitimate public interest. The question is, who benefits from these protests?

The November 2017 coup, which led to the ousting of President Robert Mugabe, was initially celebrated by many Zimbabweans who thronged the streets, seeing it as a chance for change and a break from Mugabe’s authoritarian rule and economic woes.

However, as time has shown, the coup ultimately benefited the military and the ruling elite only, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe ally, taking power.

The promised reforms and improvements in the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans have been slow to materialise, and many have been left feeling disappointed and disillusioned.

Now, with the looming protests on March 31, there are concerns that history might repeat itself, and the people might again be the losers.

The demonstrations, which are being driven by widespread discontent with the government’s handling of the economy and corruption, might provide an opportunity for the military or other opportunistic, powerful interests to exploit the situation and further entrench their power.

It’s a worrying scenario, and one that underscores the need for Zimbabweans to remain vigilant and ensure that people are the main beneficiaries of whatever demonstrations or transition or change in leadership is driven by the needs and aspirations of the people, rather than the interests of the powerful and elite.

The planned street protests in Zimbabwe on March 31 have sparked concerns that they might be exploited by the army as a pretext to seize power.

Given this context, the planned protests on March 31 could be a volatile situation, and it’s essential to monitor the developments closely, ask who is behind this, what their agenda is and who will benefit.

It is important to ask these questions before people rush into the streets to fight wars they don’t understand and know their origins.

Geza, a former Sanyati MP and ZANU PF Central Committee member, claims that individuals close to Mnangagwa are looting the country for personal gain, while the majority of Zimbabweans continue to suffer in extreme poverty.

However, top security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concerns to The NewsHawks about the “real motive” behind the loud calls to oust Mnangagwa.

They warned that the situation resembles the empty “Mugabe must go” slogan from the past, lacking a clear plan for what would follow or how to secure the people’s interests.

The security officials also voiced concern over the country being swept into an internal ZANU PF issue, without clarifying how such a shift would improve the living conditions and material well-being of the people. Said the official:

Who benefits from this? That question must be asked upfront, not later. Yes, Geza has tried to seize the moment and opportunity of socio-economic disgruntlement around the country to fuel and incite anger against Mnangagwa’s government, but do you think people benefit from this? Ordinary people don’t seem enthusiastic about street protests and may just stay away.

It is because they don’t trust the process and don’t want to be used again, as happened in 2017.

While the disgruntled war veterans have gained a lot of popularity and traction with Geza’s incessant attacks, that whole cabal, fronting some wounded interests and comrades, has made some strategic blunders by revealing why they want regime change.

It is all about themselves, not the people. They are fighting for their time to eat. It might be difficult to mobilise the people for March 31. Yes, people are suffering, but they don’t want to be used. That is clear.

The situation is made worse by the fact that people like popular opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and those within his latent structures are not involved in this.

In our assessment, based on the current situation and past experiences, Zimbabweans are not only wiser-after they were used, shortchanged and abandoned in 2017-but also contextual and discerning.