Fought for the People- Mourned by the People: Good Night Cde, Bombshell

Fought for the People- Mourned by the People: Good Night Cde, Bombshell
By Desmond Nleya
Some knew him long before the name became thunder.
They remember a young boy who slipped across borders, not in search of comfort, but in search of freedom. A boy who chose the sound of gunfire over the silence of submission. He left home carrying nothing but courage, and returned carrying a liberated nation on his shoulders.
After independence, he did not disappear into luxury or arrogance. He came back and lived what many would call a decent life — becoming a Member of Parliament, rising to be one of the top officials in ZANU PF’s Central Committee. By Zimbabwean standards, he lived above the poverty datum line. He was not a desperate man. He was not hungry for bread.
And he was not hungry for power.
When the early whispers of Vision 2030 began — when the chorus to extend or bend the Constitution started rising — he did something rare.
He stood up.
He spoke.
He did not whisper in corridors. He did not hide behind closed doors. He spoke openly against it. And that is when many ordinary Zimbabweans came to truly know Cde Runesu Geza — Cde Bombshell.
And bombshell he was.
He talked about corruption without blinking. He named what others feared to mention. He shook tables that many thought were permanently fixed to the floor. In time, he became a household name — not because he sought fame, but because truth has a way of echoing.
Some will say he was fighting personal battles.
But let it be remembered: this was not a poor man fighting for a meal.
This was not a desperate man fighting for relevance.
This was not a man clawing for power.
Many times he said he was in his evening season. His words carried the weight of someone who knew the sun was setting — but still chose to fight for the sunrise of others. His battle was for a corruption-free country. His battle was not for 2030. His battle was for Zimbabwe.
The 20:30 PM addresses became moments of anticipation.
“garai matenga data.”
“Muchanakirwa.”
Those were not just phrases, they were sparks.
On 5 February, in a letter heavy with emotion, he wrote:
“I may not see the Zimbabwe I want.”
He did not write it to loyalists. He wrote it to Zimbabweans.
And today, Cde Bombshell has slept and never to wake again.
He fought the liberation war. He continued fighting what he believed in until his final breath.
A soldier in youth. A voice in maturity. A conscience in his final days.
Good night, Cde Bombshell.
For though the night feels long,
joy comes in the morning.