Grace now wants Mugabe to be buried at the Blue Roof




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THE Mugabe family reportedly approached the City of Harare (CoH) with a petition to bury the late Former President Robert Mugabe at their Blue Roof residence for recreational purposes, the Zim Morning Post has learnt.

Investigations by this publication have revealed that the family sent a delegation to the council’s management with a proposal to have the former leader’s mausoleum be built at his house instead of the National Heroes Acre.

There have been ongoing clashes as to the final resting place for Mugabe as the family preferred his residence, government preferring the Heroes Acre and the Zvimba chiefs proposing an unknown grave site as is their custom.

This development also comes at a time when the former leader’s widow, Grace and the immediate Mugabe family have fears that his body might be stolen if it is buried where they have no security control.

There is always this fear that Mugabe’s body is likely to be stolen even from the Heroes Acre,” a source told the Zim Morning Post.

This is the reason why Grace has refused to be away from Mugabe’s body.”

Sources said the Mugabes now want a mausoleum constructed at the mountain top where his Blue Roof residence is located and there, everyone would have access to visit his grave as it will become a museum of some sorts.

Government on the other hand has maintained that Mugabe be buried at the national shrine like the many other heroes buried there in honour of his contributions to the liberation struggle.

Civil works are already underway to build the US$ one million mausoleum at the Heroes Acre on the government’s tab.

The Zvimba Chiefs, however, believe Mugabe was of royal blood and one of them hence the need for him to be buried in their traditional ways at an unknown location reportedly in a cave.

Sources from CoH who spoke to the Zim Morning Post on condition of anonymity have revealed that council turned down the proposal.

Borrowdale is an upmarket neighbourhood and not a burial site. Having Mugabe’s body there will affect the rates of the leafy suburb,” the source said.

The proposal by the family will affect the status and value of Borrowdale hence it is not possible.”

In an interview the Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba could neither confirm nor deny that the city has been approached with the Mugabe burial proposal.

No, we cannot allow for that, it’s not a cemetery and in terms of the law it can’t.

It’s a residential stand in terms of the regional town and country planning act,” Gomba said.

Mugabe has been dead for close to 20 days now and the squabbles for his final resting place continue to widen.

The former president died on September 6 in Singapore where he was reportedly receiving cancer treatment. – Zim Morning Post