State Media|THE ruling Zanu-PF has expressed disappointment over the uncommunicated disregard of the agreement between Government and the late former President Robert Mugabe’s family for his remains to be interred at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare only for the family on Thursday to hastily take the body to his rural home in Zvimba for a private burial yesterday.
The party slammed the manoeuvres saying they bordered on political gimmicks. In a statement yesterday, the party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Simon Khaya Moyo, said trivialising the late liberation icon and founding father of the country by throwing his remains from pillar to post after an amicable agreement had been reached with the family that he would be buried at the national shrine was belittling him.
“We indeed respect the wishes of families of deceased heroes, hence get saddened when manoeuvres that border on political gimmicks begin to unfold on an issue concerning an illustrious liberation icon.
“The former late President was the founding father of the nation and trivialising his remains by scandalously throwing it from pillar to post particularly after an amicable agreement had been reached with the family that his remains will be interred at the national shrine is belittling the late revolutionary icon,” said Moyo.
He said the revelation of the late former President’s private burial in Zvimba — his rural home was most unfortunate. The revelations, he said, came after intensive negotiations between the Government led by President Mnangagwa and the Mugabe family including chiefs from Zvimba and all concerned whereupon it was agreed that his remains be interred at the National Heroes’ Acre. Moyo said President Mnangagwa had shown his exemplary and exceptional leadership qualities by ensuring that the late iconic political figure got a befitting send-off.
“He did everything possible to accord the former President a decent farewell. There is nothing more a humane President could have done. He invited Presidents, former Presidents in the region and beyond to come and bid farewell to their late colleague at a decent funeral ceremony at the National Sports Stadium. They came in their numbers.
“It must be remembered that ordinary Zimbabweans who adored him so much had the opportunity to bid their late gallant leader at Rufaro Stadium with aplomb. Scenes of emotions from the diversity of our great nation shall forever be embedded in the national memory,” said Moyo.
He added that the revolutionary Zanu-PF party will eternally remain grateful to the late iconic leader. Mugabe passed on in Singapore on 6 September and was declared a national hero by the Zanu-PF Politburo soon after his death.
After engagements between the family and Government and an agreement reached, a mausoleum was already under construction at the National Heroes’ Acre with a defined time-frame but the family surreptitiously took his remains to Zvimba for a private burial.