Journalist Blessed ‘Dhara B’ Mhlanga arrested for broadcasting firebrand war veteran Cde Bombshell Geza’s viral videos

Harare – Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) senior reporter, Blessed Mhlanga, also known as Dhara B, has been detained after handing himself in at Harare Central Police Station this morning. Mhlanga, who heads HSTv – AMH’s online broadcasting arm – faces a charge of publishing material likely to incite public violence.

AMH, the publishers of The Standard, NewsDay, Zimbabwe Independent, and the Southern Eye, confirmed that Mhlanga presented himself to the police in the company of his lawyer, Chris Mhike, after being summoned last week. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

The arrest stems from Mhlanga’s broadcast of an interview with outspoken war veterans leader and Zanu PF central committee member, Blessed Geza, in which Geza called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down.

Police have indicated that they also intend to arrest Geza for the statements, among other charges, with analysts suggesting that the charges are politically motivated and aimed at silencing him.

Geza, who fronts a faction of war veterans and Zanu PF supporters opposed to extending Mnangagwa’s term of office to 2030, has emerged as a vocal critic of the President’s leadership.

Mhlanga is charged under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, which pertains to “the transmission of information that incites violence or causes damage to property.”

Last week, police issued a public appeal for information regarding Mhlanga’s whereabouts. However, Mhlanga denied that he was on the run and stated that he would present himself to the police on Monday as he was reportedly not feeling well.

AMH owner, Trevor Ncube, took to X to condemn Mhlanga’s arrest. “I condemn in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of Blessed Mhlanga today. Dhara is spending the night in police custody accused of ‘Transmission of data message inciting violence or damage to property.’ This follows HStvNews broadcast of an interview with Blessed Geza. This is punishing Dhara for doing his work as a journalist. Dhara is a principled and courageous journalist who will not be broken by this brazen harassment and intimidation,” Ncube wrote.

Award-winning journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, echoed Ncube’s sentiments, stating, “The detention of Blessed Mhlanga is a cowardly act by the Zimbabwean government. Blessed is not a flight risk, yet the jackboot tactics used in the past are being used again. Arresting journalists for practicing journalism is a clear sign of a regime that lacks confidence in its mandate! It is clear that the side shows that have been created against Blessed and other journalists by well know covert ZANUPF social media influencers are deliberate so that we don’t talk about this issue!”

The situation is further complicated by the arrest of Roseline Tawengwa, Geza’s wife, in what appears to be a calculated attempt to pressure him into surrendering to authorities. Geza is currently in South Africa, having fled the country amid escalating political tensions.

Tawengwa’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, confirmed her arrest from her Norton home, expressing surprise that the police proceeded without her knowledge, despite prior agreements to have her present during any questioning. This marks the third time Tawengwa has been taken in for questioning, with no charges being formally brought against her.

Geza, a firebrand central committee member and former CIO senior officer, has emerged as a leading voice within a faction of war veterans who have openly denounced Mnangagwa’s leadership, accusing the President of constitutional violations, rampant corruption, incompetence, nepotism, and cronyism, and calling for his immediate resignation.

The fallout has been swift and severe. Last week, police announced their intention to arrest Geza on a raft of charges including undermining Mnangagwa’s authority, vehicle theft, and inciting public violence.

Zanu PF officials, youth league leaders and ministers have fallen over each other to attack Geza and other war veterans, vowing the 2030 campaign was irreversible.

In a bid to silence the war veterans, Mnangagwa’s allies deployed police to specifically crackdown on Geza, coming up four criminal charges against him, including one of allegedly undermining the authority of and insulting the President. They even contemplated a murder charge against him.

However, according to an article published by The News Hawks, the army has reportedly already whisked Geza into safety in South Africa, just like they did Mnangagwa in 2017 after he was fired by Mugabe as vice president. A named security agency was involved in the operation, The News Hawks reports.

In response to Geza’s outspoken criticism, police have launched a manhunt, pressing four criminal charges against him, including inciting public violence and insulting President Mnangagwa. Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has further inflamed the situation, stating that authorities intend to charge Geza with murder.

During her interrogation, Tawengwa was questioned extensively about her husband’s whereabouts and his phone number, before eventually being released, according to journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.

The situation is further complicated by the intensifying succession battle between Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. Geza is believed to be aligned with war veterans loyal to Chiwenga, who have also voiced their discontent with Mnangagwa’s leadership.

Geza’s supporters claim that the charges against him are a direct result of his political affiliations and his outspoken criticism of the President, accusing Mnangagwa of using the police and the justice system to silence his political opponents.

Geza faces two counts of undermining the authority of or insulting the President under Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, as well as a charge of theft under Section 113 of the same law. The arrest of Mhlanga and the pursuit of Geza highlight the growing tensions within Zimbabwe’s political landscape and raise concerns about freedom of the press and the right to dissent.