Tshinga Dube rejects National Heroes Acre burial?

Former Minister and liberation struggle Zipra commander Tshinga Dube, who passed away on Thursday night, has expressed his wish not to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, according to his family. Dube's son, Vusumuzi Dube, revealed that his father, declared a national hero by the government, had clearly indicated his preference for burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo.

"We are still discussing as a family to see what to do and make a decision, but he had said he wanted to be buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery, not in Harare," Vusumuzi confirmed.

The decision has reignited discussions around Zimbabwe's concept of national heroes, the criteria for being buried at Heroes Acre, and the controversies surrounding the designation of heroes in the country. Dube, controversial both in life and now in death, chose Lady Stanley Cemetery, a final resting place for Bulawayo's most distinguished residents who have contributed to the city's development.

The National Heroes Acre, a burial site in Harare, has long been the subject of debate due to inconsistencies in the selection of individuals honored there. The shrine, established in 1980 by the late former president Robert Mugabe, was inspired by North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's Stalinist Juche ideology. Mugabe, during his visit to North Korea, signed agreements related to the Gukurahundi operations, borrowing elements of Kim's ideology, which included building a personality cult and memorial sites like the Heroes Acre.

According to the National Heroes Act [Chapter 10:16], the President of Zimbabwe has the authority to designate heroes based on "outstanding, distinctive and distinguished service" to the country. While some are selected in consultation with Zanu PF's politburo, others are declared heroes solely at the discretion of the President. This has led to numerous instances where individuals who made significant contributions to Zimbabwe's history, such as Ndabaningi Sithole, James Chikerema, and Lookout Masuku, were excluded from the shrine.

Despite their involvement in the liberation struggle, these nationalists, along with other prominent figures like Michael Mawema and Dumiso Dabengwa, are not buried at Heroes Acre. The selection process has also been marred by the inclusion of individuals with controversial records, including some involved in human rights abuses during the Gukurahundi era.

Dube's choice of burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery mirrors that of other prominent nationalists, such as Welshman Mabhena and Dumiso Dabengwa, who also rejected the idea of being buried at Heroes Acre. Mabhena had famously stated his opposition to being buried among "corrupt people, thieves, and murderers," and his family honored his wish by laying him to rest at Lady Stanley. Similarly, Dabengwa's family chose not to involve the government in his funeral, despite his hero status.

The controversy surrounding Dube's burial underscores the ongoing debate over the legitimacy and credibility of the Heroes Acre shrine. While many deserving figures remain excluded, the inclusion of individuals with dubious legacies has diminished the shrine's standing in the eyes of many Zimbabweans.

Ironically, Mugabe himself, who played a key role in establishing the Heroes Acre and designating heroes for decades, was buried at his rural home in Zvimba after his ouster in a 2017 coup. His mortal nemesis, Joshua Nkomo, lies at the very shrine Mugabe created, a dramatic twist of fate that further illustrates the chaotic nature of Zimbabwe's political history and the contradictions within the national heroes concept.