Paul Nyathi|It is now done deal Robert Mugabe will not be buried at National Heroes Acre in Harare as had been planned but will be buried at a courtyard at his rural home in Zvimba this Saturday.
“The family has expressed its desire to proceed with the burial in Zvimba. In line with Government policy to respect the wishes of families of deceased heroes, Government is cooperating with the Mugabe family,” a statement from the Ministry of Information on September 26 reads.
Revelations of the new burial site come two weeks after emotional mourning which included stampede at Rufaro Stadium by mourning citizens and a number of African leaders travelling for his State funeral at the national stadium in Harare.
On Thursday this week, Al Jazeera revealed that Mugabe’s family was no longer comfortable with burial at National Heroes Acre.
Grace Mugabe was said to be at the centre of the rift pitting the family against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The government had resisted his family’s wish for him to be buried in his home region of Zvimba, deciding that he should lay in Heroes Acre – a national monument and burial ground.
The family eventually consented, but on Thursday the government backtracked.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the late change in plans. The Mugabe family had appeared content with the burial at Heroes Acre, after it was agreed that a mausoleum would be built for the former leader.
According to The Telegraph, the family stood its ground maintaining that their patriach be buried alongside his mother and brothers in the village where he grew up.
In the wake of his death, the family publicly complained that they had not been consulted about arrangements for the state funeral.
In a statement, they accused the government of coercion , and said plans to bury Mugabe at the monument were “contrary to [Mugabe’s] wishes”.
The statement said that one of his final requests was for his wife, Grace Mugabe, to never leave Mr Mugabe’s coffin during the funeral and up until the point when he was buried.
His family is said to be bitter over his being ousted by his former ally, President Mnangagwa, two years ago – a resentment that may have contributed to the clash over his burial place. Mr Mnangagwa had pushed for it to be Heroes Acre.
The BBC further reports that the family remains bitter over the ouster of the late Mugabe from power in 2017.
President Mnangagwa revealed that Mugabe died while undergoing treatment for cancer in Singapore.
The late Mugabe and his family had kept details of his health secret for several years as he sought treatment.