By Munacho Gwamanda- The late President Robert Mugabe’s children—Bona, Chatunga, and Robert Jr.—have successfully blocked attempts to exhume their father’s remains after a court ruling dismissed a bid by a Zvimba headman.

Chinhoyi magistrate Kudzanai Mahaso ruled in favour of the Mugabe siblings, barring Headman Tinos Manongovere from inspecting the gravesite at the family’s Kutama village homestead.

Manongovere had sought an inspection in loco to determine whether Mugabe was buried inside a house, contrary to Zvimba cultural traditions.

Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades before being ousted in a 2017 military coup, was buried at his rural home in 2019.

The family chose this private burial over the state’s plans for interment at the National Heroes Acre, where a mausoleum had been constructed for him.

The court ruled the headman’s application defective due to the absence of a properly filed founding affidavit.

Magistrate Mahaso emphasized that an inspection in loco at private property requires consent from the property owner to avoid infringing on their rights.

“The right to privacy is fundamental and must be respected. Entering someone’s property without permission amounts to trespass,” Mahaso noted.

The decision upholds the Mugabe family’s wish to fortify the grave, shielding it from exhumation efforts and respecting their privacy.

Mugabe’s burial has been contentious, reflecting his complex legacy and ongoing debates about his role in Zimbabwe’s history.