‘Mnangagwa warned chiefs against Mugabe exhumation’- Leo Mugabe

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

The late former President Robert Mugabe’s eldest nephew, Leo Mugabe has rubbished claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is behind the push to have the remains of his uncle exhumed and reburied at the National Heroes Acre.

Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years before he was removed from power through a military coup by his deputy, now President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2017.

He died in Singapore from prostate cancer in 2019. Mnangagwa tried to have him buried at the national shrine but his family insisted and entombed him at the village courtyard in his rural Zvimba.

Earlier this year, Chief Zvimba and colleagues ordered the exhumation of Mugabe and reburial at the national shrine. The late leader’s wife Grace appealed against the order at a Chinhoyi magistrate but the appeal was thrown out two times prompting her to file again at the High Court.

The Daily News on Sunday last Friday had an interview with Mugabe’s nephew, Leo, to discuss this and other issues. Leo noted that the chiefs who are pushing for his uncle’s reburial went to Mnangagwa to discuss the matter and brought a false impression that the President was supporting the exhumation of his former boss.

“We know that the chiefs in our area went to see the president along with some politicians to discuss the matter,” Leo said.

“The president asked how they intended to deal with the people who were opposed to their exhumation proposal, warning they would rebel against them.

“I have the minutes of that meeting and it is so straightforward that the president left it to the chiefs.

“So, they (traditional leaders) concocted this whole thing of later having someone making a report on a matter that had been discussed at the highest level.

“The President warned them, but they did not take heed and these are the consequences.”

Leo also dismissed claims that Mugabe was buried in a house, a notion that was used by Chief Zvimba to charge Grace for improperly burying her husband.

“We also want to dispel the lies that President Mugabe was buried in a house when the fact is that it was in the courtyard.

“We have just built a mausoleum now and everybody can now see that it was not in the house.

“The chief made a judgment without proof and on the basis of falsehoods that should not be allowed to happen to other families,” he added.

Meanwhile, the former First Lady last week filed a High Court application seeking to challenge an order by Chinhoyi provincial magistrate Ruth Moyo to exhume the remains of her late husband for reburial at the National Heroes Acre. Nehanda Radio