By Paul Nyathi| President Emerson Mnangagwa will have to delay his first visit to the National Heroes Acre to preside over the burial of a national hero after the family of the late hero Timothy Stamps declined to have him buried at the shrine.

President Mnangagwa last week conferred national hero status to Stamps.

As government and the ZANU PF structures were busy preparing to go on their usual fair at the shrine and witness Mnangagwa preside over the burial, the Stamps family instead opted away from the shrine preferring to stick to their culture to inter their loved one through a private cremation.

A public memorial service for the late National Hero was held at the Celebration Church in Harare yesterday where hundreds of people turned up to bid farewell to the former Health Minister.

In his condolences Mnangagwa described Dr Stamps who died last week as a dedicated servant of the country.

“Dr Stamps was a dedicated servant of the people of Zimbabwe who gave his all to see the health standards in the country maintain a high standard,” he said.

Several government Ministers and senior political leaders from across the country attended the memorial service.

The private cremation will be held at a crematorium in Harare today. ZANU PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo told journalists in Harare that an empty grave will be set up at the National Heroes Acre to honour Dr Stamps.

This will be the second such empty grave to be put up at the shrine.