LIVE: Burial of an unknown 'hero'

His Excellency wraps up with a slogan and ends his address.

"There is not ethnic group that is sub-human. We are all equal," says President Mugabe.

13:05hrs- President Mugabe thanks all for attending Muvuti's burial. and advises those who are bent on dividing the country along ethnic lines that Zimbabwe is for all.

12:59hrs – President Mugabe also bemourns the rising murder cases in some parts of the country, touching on the recent murder of a catholic nun in Msami.

12:57hrs – "Anyway, for that people can be forgiven. What we can not forgive are rapists who rape toddlers after being promised that they can become rich overnight. Such people should rot in jail.

12:52hrs – "We thank ZAOGA, for the sermon and prayer. We thank pastors for reminding us of the importance of God. All pastors should keep doing the good work. They should be preachers who preach the word of God, and not those other ones who are after money. We hear there are some churches where drums are filled up with cash, when our people are struggling for cash.

"We are a people able to read and understand the Bible ourselves. But some are still cheated into donating into those drums with false promises of getting rich overnight.

12:56hrs – "People go there, and get false prophecies, . . .some go there and are told, you are going to be the next vice-president. Others go there and are told, you will be the next President . . oh…oh…"

12:51hrs – "We mourn with the family. As we mourn, we are also happy that he played his part for the nation.

12:46hrs – "He (Tongogara) had told me that, President, we are now going back, but not all of us will get there . . .I did not understand what he meant during that time. But after hearing of his demise, i asked myself why he had said this.

"Don Muvuti we came back with him.

12:43hrs – "The war was fought, and people died. The war was fought and it led into several negotiations. You will remember we then went for the Lancaster meeting. Margaret Thatcher was then president for Britain, and we negotiated to have our land back.

"We assigned Tongogara to meet the other guys, Solomon Mujuru and others to advise them to cease fire. We were now in Maputo as he came home to carry out that assignment. Unfortunately on his way, he died in a car crash along the way, and it pained us.

"Our mothers were pained to go for years without seeing their children who had joined the liberation struggle. But they were happy to see some coming back . . . and others failed to come back. That is what defines the struggle.

12:48hrs – "Later on his health deteriorated. . . . and we heard it had became worse, and we lost him. But there is nothing to do as we have to follow God's wishes. We then decided on what hero status to accord him . . . it is our wish to have all our heroes here, but because of space, we end up with others being accorded provincial hero statuses.

"But for Don, we decided to have him here. You would not supervise him. He knew his work. He was a workaholic. Everyday, he would be writing.

12:40hrs – "Our Liberation War was not fought by one person. Don, whom we are burying here today was more of a writer. He had left his family to join the liberation struggle. Our families struggled.

"I have to tell you this so that you understand our history and were we came from. It was a difficult journey as it was difficult to get help. Relatives in Zambia, helped us a lot. They assisted us a lot, and that we should not forget.

"Later on, we were ordered to stay in Tanzania as liberation movements and from there we mobilized friendships with countries like China, Russia, Yugoslavia and others as we mobilized for arms to drive the liberation war. That was in Tanzania, where we worked with the likes of Muvuti.

12:34hrs – "Our military wing for the armed struggle now had the likes of Tongogara, Mayor Urimbo and others . . .to fight colonialism.

"We had our camps in Tanzania. We had already separated from ZAPU. There we called our educated people, the likes of Don Muvuti, and this is how we fought our war.

12:33hrs – "All this, I am saying because Don was involved," says President Mugabe.

"Chitepo then used to send his wife back home…to Sikombela, where we were in jail.

"And it is at Sikombela where the idea of dare reChimurenga was born.

"later on we then said, we need the assistance of our laywer, Chitepo. And we requested him to help. From Tanzania he managed to mobilize our comrades, Tongogara, Kadungure and others . . .and dare reChimurenga was set up to start the war from outside the boarders. This was now in Zambia, which had just attained independence.

12:25 – Muvuti worked with the late Chitepo in Tanzania in setting up the new country's judiciary system: "We had our one lawyer, Herbert Chitepo who was requested by Nyerere to go and help them to set up their judiciary systems.

"They had just one lawyer, and they wanted Chitepo to help them. Chitepo had not been a prosecutor before, but he was able to go and help.

"Tanzania had an all white judiciary bench. So, we could not deny Tanzania the assistance of Chitepo, so we released him.

2612:16hrs- "Don was selfless. He used to stay at the Zanu-PF headquarters, working for the party.

"We used to see him, with a pen in his hands, writing. And would like to see all those writings in our library.

"We took him to India for treatment. That is where he also went for education earlier and he obtained those degrees you heard about here.

The President acknowledges the presence of ministers, politburo members as well as mourners.

12:15hrs – "On behalf of Zanu-PF, and Government, I say to the Muvuti family, Don's death is our loss together.

PRESIDENT MUGABE'S ADDRESS

Some of the banners at the national heroes are written 'Fambai zvakanaka mhofu yemukono, famba zvakanaka mwana wevhu, Farewell Mhofu yeMukono, Ngatirimirei tizadze matura . . .'

11:59hrs – "Don was a selfless person. Everything he did was about us the people of Zimbabwe. He was humble and passionate about his work to the extent that we had a very hard time to convince him to stay home after falling ill in order to recover

11:13 "Our grandfather used to say that Don Muroyi chaiye anoda kufa ndisina kumuona . . .But our grandfather died before Don Muvuti was back

11:55hrs – "Muvutis decision to join the liberation struggle meant that he was to be away from his family for 20 years. Our grandfather used to say that Don Muroyi chaiye anoda kufa ndisina kumuona.

Minister Chadoka takes the stage to lead the sermon of the day and the opening prayer.

11:53hrs – Dr Mpofu takes to the podium to lead the proceedings here at the National Heroes Acre. "Today we gather to lay Muvuti,allow me to invite the minister of religion Minister Chadoka of Zaoga."

11:40hrs – Muvuti's body will be laid at the tomb of the unknown soldier before burial.

11:21hrs – Meanwhile the Vice Presidents have arrived at the national Heroes Acre where President Mugabe is expected to address mourners before the burial of Muvuti.

10:59hrs – The body of national hero Muvuti is now headed for the national shrine. President Mugabe, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe and Cabinet Ministers have left Stoddart Hall for the National Heroes Acre in Warren Park.

Muvuti was born in Hwedza on June 20, 1933 and did his primary education at Chigwedere and Waddilove primary schools before proceeding to Goromonzi High School for his secondary education.

Upon completing his high schooling he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at Aligaru University in India. After attaining his first degree he proceeded to New Dehli University for his master's degree. Muvuti became politically active while doing his undergraduate degree and was a member of the African Students' Association that included the late Cdes Solomon Tawengwa and John Mataure, which articulated the needs of African students there as well as being a vehicle through which they canvassed support for the African liberation movements fighting to end colonial rule.

Muvuti was born in Hwedza on June 20, 1933 and did his primary education at Chigwedere and Waddilove primary schools before proceeding to Goromonzi High School for his secondary education.

1810:27 – Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has arrived in the company of Mrs Auxillia Mnangagwa. Acting Town Clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube and Acting Mayor of Harare Enock Mupamawonde are also at Stoaddart Hall.

1910:20hrs - Senate President Edna Madzongwe has arrived as the numbers continue to swell. Minister of State Security Kembo Mohadi and Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Major General (Rtd) Happyton Bonyongwe are also at the Stoddart Hall.

710:10hrs – Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Retired Colonel Christian Katsande , Minister of State for Mashonaland West Province Webster Shamhu and his wife are also at the Stoddart Hall so are Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and wife, Mrs Sekeramayi. Service Chiefs are also in attendance.

10:05hrs - Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu is here. Meanwhile the numbers here continue to swell.

10:00hrs - A fairly large crowd has gathered outside Stoddart Hall in Mbare to bid farewell to national hero Don Kwaedza Muvuti. The body of Muvuti has already arrived at the Stoddart Hall.