Mugabe’s children appeal against Chief Zvimba exhumation ruling

By Romio Takundwa

Late former president, Robert Mugabe’s children have appealed Chief Zvimba’s ruling ordering the exhumation and reburial of their father’s remains.

Chief Zvimba born Stanley Wurayayi Mhondoro last month ordered the exhumation and reburial of Mugabe’s remains at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare.

This comes after the traditional leader allegedformer First Lady, Grace had violated traditional customs during Mugabe’s burial in 2019 at his Zvimba rural homestead.

The Chief also ordered the late former leader’s widow to pay five cows and a goat as fine.

However in their appeal, Mugabe’s children; Bona, Bellarmine Chatunga and Tinotenda Robert Junior argued that the chief erred in his ruling as he lacked judicial authority to interpret legal acts from superior legislators.

They added that the Chief’s ruling affects property rights and that he illegally extended to himself territorial and judicial jurisdiction.

“1. Chief Zvimba erred at law by making an order that overturns a burial order in respect of the burial of the late Robert Mugabe when the Chief had no judicial authority to interpret legal acts from superior legislation to his jurisdiction.

2. Chief Zvimba erred at law in making an order that affects property rights of a party that is not part of the proceedings.

3. The Chief made a false finding of fact which amounts to an errer at law when he found that the the late Robert Mugabe was buried inside a house. This misdirection nullifies the ratio decidendi of his judgement.

4. Chief Zvimba erred at law in granting an incompetent order for the exhumation of the body of late Robert Mugabe thereby usurping the lawfull bounds of his judicial authority.

5. The Chief further erred at law by imposing himself with territorial jurisdiction to the affairs of an area that he does not have territorial jurisdiction over.”