This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's family has revealed that he feared his body would be used for ritualistic purposes after his death.
According to family spokesman Leo Mugabe, the former president's nephew, Mugabe had expressed concerns that his body would be targeted by his opponents for such purposes.
"We wanted a tamper-proof casket because of (the fear of) rituals," Leo told the Zimbabwe Television Network, explaining the family's decision to secure Mugabe's remains.
Leo further stated that Mugabe had instructed his wife to guard his body once he died, fearing that it could be used by his opponents for ritualistic purposes.
"People are after his body or his body parts," Leo noted, highlighting the family's concerns.
Mugabe died on September 6th, 2019, at the age of 95, in a Singapore hospital. He was later buried in a concrete cast grave in the courtyard of his rural Kutama home, with the casket placed in a container and covered with a maroon lid before being topped with heavy rectangular stone blocks.
The burial site was chosen after weeks of a battle between Mugabe's family, local traditional chiefs, and the government over his final resting place.
