Mugabe Death: Bargaining with the corpse

THE late former President Robert Mugabe’s body must be turning in his casket as his lifeless body is being used as a pawn to advance personal interests from across the political divide.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Mugabe a national hero as justice to his contribution to the liberation struggle and his role as founding father.

The two were for decades comrades-in-arms despite a plethora of ideological differences that emerged between them towards the twilight of Mugabe’s political career.

According to sources, the differences were fuelled by former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s interference into presidium matters amid reports that she was positioning herself for the vice presidency, a post then occupied by Mnangagwa.

“Mnangagwa never had any personal issues with Mugabe.

“Despite the ideological differences towards the end of his reign, Mnangagwa never forgot that Mugabe was his mentor and founding father.

“He, therefore, found it befitting to declare him a national hero, and it is also his wish that Mugabe be buried at the National Heroes Acre to complete his legacy and heritage,” explained our source.

The source said the G40 cabal which had coalesced around Grace in the build up to the November 2017military intervention still enjoys its influence on the former first lady.

The G40 kingpins are alleged to have hijacked Mugabe’s death and use his body as a pawn to hold Mnangagwa’s administration at ‘ransom’, in the process circumventing the justice delivery system.

“G40 is using Mugabe’s corpse as a bargaining tool and pawn to evade justice.

“They are arm-twisting the family to refuse that his body be buried at Heroes Acre.

“They tabled demands to Mnangagwa stating that he has to give them immunity for crimes that some of them are facing.

“Mnangagwa has, however, made it clear that the law will take its course and anyone facing criminal charges will face the full wrath of the law,” added our source.

On the other hand sources say Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF party also want to coerce the Mugabe family to force the late veteran leader to be buried at the Heroes Acre.

“It is all about political expediency. If Mugabe is buried at the Heroes Acre it will be victory for Mnangagwa,” said the source.

“It is clear that both the Mugabes and Mnangagwa want to achieve some political scores.”

Some of the alleged G40 members who have matters that are sub judice include Ignatious Chombo, Supa Mandiwanzira and Psychology Maziwisa, among others.

Some of them are in self- imposed exile like Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao.

Zhuwao was given a green light to attend his uncle’s funeral since he has no case to answer before the courts but merely developed cold feet after Mugabe was deposed from power in what many say was a military-assisted coup.