Court visits Mugabe's 'grave' in exhumation case

Chinhoyi Magistrate Kudzanai Mahaso has granted village head Tinos Manongovere his request for an inspection in loco at the burial sites of the late former President Robert Mugabe, following a dispute over his final resting place.

The inspection will take place today at two significant locations: the Mugabe family cemetery in Zvimba and the National Heroes Acre in Harare, where Mugabe was initially intended to be buried.

Manongovere had requested the court's permission to show the places where Mugabe's remains were interred - in Zvimba at the family's homestead and at Heroes Acre - to clarify his position regarding the traditional burial practices. The request was granted during proceedings at Chinhoyi Magistrates Court yesterday.

Mugabe's family lawyer, Kudzanai Gombiro, confirmed the court's decision, stating that the inspection would take place at the two burial sites. "Yes, Manongovere requested to show the court places where Mugabe family members are buried in Zvimba and a place they wanted him buried at Heroes Acre, and the request was granted by the magistrate. We are going to the two places tomorrow," Gombiro said.

The dispute began when Manongovere approached Chief Zvimba's traditional court, arguing that Mugabe's burial at the family homestead in Kutama did not align with their customs. He requested that Mugabe's remains be exhumed and reburied at Heroes Acre, where the government had constructed a mausoleum for the late leader.

In response, Chief Zvimba, Stanley Wurayayi Mhondoro, ordered the exhumation of Mugabe's remains for reburial at the National Heroes Acre. The ruling was later confirmed by a magistrate court in September 2021, after Mugabe's children contested it, claiming the traditional leader had acted beyond his jurisdiction. They argued that Grace Mugabe, the late president's widow, should not be penalized for the burial choice, but the court upheld the ruling, ordering Grace to facilitate the exhumation.

Additionally, Grace was fined five cows and two goats for her actions, in accordance with the traditional court's decision.

Mugabe passed away in September 2019 at the age of 95 in Singapore. His burial at the Kutama homestead sparked tensions between his family and the government, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration pushing for his interment at Heroes Acre. The standoff over the final burial site lasted nearly three weeks before a compromise was reached, and Mugabe was laid to rest at his family homestead, despite the government's preference.

The outcome of this latest court decision could have further implications for the ongoing dispute over Mugabe's burial site and the adherence to traditional customs surrounding his final resting place.