By Nevson Mpofu
Zimbabwe is still embroiled in a reburial case of former President Robert Mugabe . The then now deceased succumbed to cancer and died while under hospitalisation at Glen-Eagles hospital in Singapore in September 2019. A fuming wrangle building up to animosity is looming between the Mugabe family and the quuet President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is now compelled to intervene .
Speaking for the family , former President Mugabe’s cousin Leo Mugabe told the Pan-African-Visions that Chief Zvimba who reigns in the former President clan is making madding attempts to exhume the body of the late for reburial at the national shrine .
Leo Mugabe said they were now compelling President Mnangagwa to intervene in this exhumation case . He pointed out this as day time madness . He pointed out that President Mnangagwa must immediately stop the machinations of going around courts trying to exhume the remains .
” As family we appeal President Mnangagwa to intervene in ths case and stop immediately this madness of going around courts trying to exhume the late former leader’s body and rebury at the national heroes acre” .
” President Mnangagwa must come out clear and show he is not part of the machinations to exhume the body and also trying to disregard wishes of the family . The saga can only stop if President Mnangagwa comes out clear .”
The spirited saga comes with the blowing wind of an appeal by Mugabe family members against the ruling which was passed by Chief Zvimba that the body must beexhumed and buried at the national heroes acre in Harare . The family contacted the courts regarding this through an appeal which was thrown . A magistrate court overturned in a town called Chinhoyi , the home town of the late . The Magistrate ruled in favour of Chief Zvimba that the late leader goes for reburial . This automatically means the body of the late will be exhumed and reburied at the national acres where liberators are all buried .
Mugabe family is now pushing to launch an appeal at high court against Chinhoyi magistrate Ruth Moyo judgement which is in favour of the Chief’s orders. It is suspected the chief is in favour of the state . The state
through President Mnangagwa is pushing for reburial of the former leader . A Legal Practitioner Fungai Chimwara has been instructed to stand on the side of the family and challenge the ruling by Ruth Moyo the magistrate . Fungai Chimwara said there are opprtunities that the Mugabe family appeal will be successful.
” There are a lot of opportunities that our appeal will win in court . Come the day we sit for this case , its a win ,” said tye Lawyer .
Family members barred the government from allowing the former leader burial at the national heroes acre citing reasons that they had to respect the will of the former leader . According to the family , the late did not choose to be buried at national acres for reasons up to now still unknown .
Information picked up by this online through research concludes that the clan and family members have powers to decide what they want done in terms of burial of their people . Mugabe was buried in his home area Zvimba .This was the decision of the family after words of the deceased . The Government has since resisted this decision ,bringing close clash between it and family members .
There is likeli-hood that the chief will be over turned by superior courts because it is said chiefs have no powers to order exhumation of human beings for burial . There is a legislation that deals specifically with such kind of issues under the Ministry of Home Affairs .
