Mnangagwa: Late Mugabe declared a national hero
HARARE: The Zimbabwe government yesterday declared the late founding father of the nation and liberation icon former President Robert Mugabe a national hero, Zimbabwe’s news agency New Ziana reported.
Mugabe, 95, died early yesterday at a hospital in Singapore where he was receiving medical treatment.
He ruled Zimbabwe from independence in 1980 until his ouster in 2017.
Without specifying the number of days, President Emmerson Mnangagwa who declared the hero status at State House following a meeting of the Zanu PF politburo said Zimbabwe would be in mourning until the late iconic leader was buried.
“Zanu PF, the party which the late departed helped found, has met and accorded him national hero status which he earned and richly deserves,” he said.
“As we await the arrival of the remains of our dear departed icon, we pray that the good Lord grants him mercies putting his dear soul to eternal rest. We as Zimbabweans declared days of mourning for our leader until he is buried.”
Mnangagwa lauded the late former President for championing the country’s independence from colonial rule, pledging to carry on his vision for a prosperous and empowered Zimbabwe.
“We remain determined to carry forward the transformation he so fervently desired including protecting and defending the gains of the struggle for which he made huge sacrifices,” he said.
“On the backdrop and solid foundation of the First Republic which he moulded as its leader, we today recover and grow our economy brick by brick until his lifelong vision of an empowered people is realised.”
The late Mugabe’s achievements in independent Zimbabwe, especially providing to education for the previously disadvantaged blacks soon after independence as well as championing the land reform programme, which resulted in him creating enemies in the West and the country being slapped with sanctions, engraved his name in the annuls of history, Mnangagwa said.
“Today, Zimbabwe’s land question, itself a principal grievance of our struggle, stands fully and irrevocably addressed and resolved. History will remember him for this bold move,” he said.
Kenya has declared three days of mourning in his honour as an African icon and champion of Pan-Africanism.
Mugabe leaves behind a wife Grace and three children Bona, Robert Jr and Chatunga.
Bernama
