Tuesday marked the end of the fourth day since one of Africa’s greatest Founding Fathers, Pan-Africanist and liberation hero, Robert Gabriel Mugabe passed away on Friday at the age of 95.
Since then, the people in Zimbabwe have been waiting for details on his interment or burial and so far, nothing official has been announced about the actual ceremony to date.
Apart from the statement that he will be buried over the weekend, no details on the location or nature of the ceremony have been announced yet.
According to one family member and spokesperson for the Mugabes, Leo Mugabe, the remains of the late former President are being repatriated back to the Motherland, the place of his birth and land of his ancestors.
The former First Lady and her children together with other family members said to be accompanying the remains from Singapore where Mugabe died last Friday, are expected to arrive in Harare on Wednesday late afternoon around 3:30 pm local time at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Responding to questions from one news channel from the region, Mr. Mugabe, who is also the nephew of the late former President has remained mum on the details of the ceremony. His refusal to neither comment nor confirm whether any arrangements for the burial or the ceremony have been made, have done little to quell speculation and reports of an existing rift between the Mugabes and the illegitimate usurper and his military minions over funeral arrangement including where and how the former President will be laid to rest.
Apparently, the disagreements with the Mugabes are said to centre on two key things: the burial ceremony and the location where to lay President Mugabe to rest. Another source of friction is said to revolve around the illegitimate military junta led by the usurper who want to take over and preside over the ceremony while using it as a political prop.
To every Zimbabwean and any objective observer, the sudden change of heart is clear. The objective is to use the death and burial ceremony for the man they humiliated and maltreated at the sunset of his life, for purely political purposes.
Undoubtedly, Robert Mugabe even after death, remains a political giant, a Pan-Africanist and liberation hero colossu. He was and is a respected statesman and one of the continent’s Founding Fathers who staunchly fought for the total liberation and emancipation of all the peoples of Africa till the end.
Mugabe also fought and brought forth an end to military coups in the continent and encouraged the self-determination of Africans and Africa in the process.
As such, his burial will certainly be attended by former and current continental and global leaders, the ceremony of which will put the world’s eyes and focus on Zimbabwe one more time, something which the illegitimate usurper and his military minions would desperately want to exploit for political gain.
For this very reason, President Mugabe is said to have been against being buried at the Heroes Acre because he did not want his “tormentors” to ride on his cocktail one more time, this time, by using his death.
There are also reports that sources close to the family revealed that prior to his death, President Mugabe indicated to his wife and family that he does not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Warren Hills on the outskirts of Harare. His reasoning was simple. He did not want the usurper and his illegitimate military government to preside over his death or, as he aptly put it, did not want his death and burial to be used by his “tormentors” as political prop for selfish political gain.
The usurper Emmerson Mnangagwa together with his illegitimate military dictatorship and the ruling ZANU-PF that ousted Robert Mugabe as President in November 2017 after they used, abused and later discarded because he was old and no longer useful to them, now want him interred at the Heroes Acre after a ceremony at the National Stadium.
His family, on the other hand including the Chiefs want him buried at his village in Zvimba where he is regarded as a Chief despite turning down the Chieftaincy which he handed over to his cousin instead.
According to the same sources close to the former First Family, President Mugabe indicated before long before he died that he wanted a small and private ceremony at his home village in Zvimba where only close family and relatives will be attendance.
Unless there is some agreement as to the final resting place of Gushungo, Zimbabweans will continue to scratch their heads as to what arrangements are being crafted behind the scenes. In the event that he is buried at the Heroes Acre, the prevailing belief is that it will only be ceremonial in that, either before or after the mock ceremony will The Honourable Robert Gabriel Mugabe be finally laid to rest at a place of his desire, in his village of Zvimba with his ancestors.
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe died in Singapore on Friday where he had been receiving medical treatment since April. He was 95-years old.
National days of mourning have been declared throughout Zim until the late elderly statesman and African icon is buried. He was granted National Hero status.
Mugabe National Hero status automatically qualifies him to be buried at the country’s National Heroes Acre in Harare with full ceremonial honours courtesy of the state. The burial date and location are to be determined pending the repatriation of his body from Singapore back to the motherland and home of his ancestors where he was born, lived and ruled.
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