Dr Magaisa burial in Zim could take as long as two months – sister

The burial of the late constitutional expert and academic Dr Alex Magaisa in Zimbabwe could take as long as two months according to his sister and family spokesperson Estelle Magaisa.

Magaisa died on Sunday morning after years battling a heart ailment. He succumbed to a heart attack at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Kent, the southeast of England.

“Definitely he is going to be buried in Zimbabwe after finishing the process of repatriating his body,” his sister Estelle is quoted saying by NewsDay.

“This is a long process which might take two months. We are going to announce the burial date after finishing the repatriation process,” she added.

A source with experience of the repatriation process in the UK told Nehanda Radio; “there are tests that have to be done to determine the cause of death and from experience these are taken to Liverpool and the waiting time alone can be anything from 4-6 weeks.

“Once the results come out that is when the body is released for repatriation to Zimbabwe,” the source told us.

Meanwhile the university where Dr Magaisa taught, Kent Law School, has issued a statement mourning his death.

“It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our dear colleague, Dr Alex Magaisa. We feel his loss immediately and join with Alex’s friends and admirers around the world in recognising his powerful legacy and impact at Kent.”