This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On 6 September, Robert Mugabe, the former President of Zimbabwe, passed away in a Singapore hospital at the age of 95. His death marked the end of a 37-year rule that had a profound impact on the country.
After weeks of disagreement with the government, the Mugabe family decided on a private burial in Kutama, the rural village where he was born. The family's decision was influenced by Mugabe's desire to be buried close to his late mother, Bona.
The burial took place in the courtyard of Mugabe's home in Kutama, approximately 90km west of the capital, Harare. The National Heroes Acre in Harare, where a mausoleum for the former president was being constructed, was not the chosen location.
Ministers had initially wanted the body to rest at the National Heroes Acre, citing the site's significance as a mausoleum for heroes of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. However, the Mugabe family's wishes prevailed, and the former president was laid to rest in his home village.
