Mugabe family holds private centennial celebration for late president

The family of the late former president Robert Mugabe, who would have marked his 100th birthday last week, held a private ceremony on Saturday to honour his memory in Zvimba.

Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, and passed away on September 6, 2019, at the age of 95. Following his removal from power in a military coup in 2017 after 37 years of rule, he had been undergoing medical treatment in a hospital in Singapore.

Close family members and associates gathered at Mugabe's rural home in Zvimba for the posthumous centenary birthday celebration, confirmed Jealous Mawarire, a former spokesperson and relative of the Mugabe family.

"Today, on February 24, 2024, we are attending President Mugabe's posthumous centenary birthday celebrations in Kutama, Zimbabwe, Mashonaland West Province," wrote Mawarire without further details.

Among the attendees was Wonder, Mugabe's long-time close security aide.

During the event, Mugabe was acknowledged for his efforts in expanding access to healthcare and education for the black majority. However, his later years were marred by political repression and economic turmoil in Zimbabwe.

Opinions about Mugabe vary widely: some view him as a ruthless dictator deserving of punishment for human rights abuses, while others see him as a hero who fought against racial oppression and Western imperialism.

While some political analysts recognize Mugabe's success in securing independence for Zimbabwe after years of white-minority rule, his refusal to designate a successor and his prolonged stay in power - defeating rivals such as Joshua Nkomo and Morgan Richard Tsvangirai - were considered significant flaws in his legacy.