![Villagers look at the coffin of late former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe lying in state at Murombedzi Growth Point, about 107 km northwest of Harare, Zimbabwe, on September 16, 2019, as people have been accorded the opportunity to view Mugabe"s body a week after his death](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/11364/production/_109000507_crowds976.jpg)
Fear of the dead
Traditional beliefs among the Shona ethnic group - under which the Gushungo clan falls - also requires many rituals to be performed when death occurs. These rituals reinforce a collective identity and help families and communities to come to terms with the loss of a loved one.![A young boy walks past a digital image of late former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe as his body lies in state at Murombedzi Growth Point, about 107 km northwest of Harare, Zimbabwe, on September 16, 2019](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/16184/production/_109000509_mugabe.jpg)
Next to his mother
Some Zimbabweans say the 95-year-old spirit may not yet be ready for his interment and this why his body was kept at his mansion for so long. His family appears to be at ease with this. Some of them have said one of Mugabe's wishes was that his wife should never leave the corpse until he is buried. It is unclear why he would make such a wish. Perhaps the family fears his body could be tampered with for ritual purposes. According to the family, Mugabe had another wish - to be buried at his rural home, close to his late mother, Bona. They further accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe's long-time ally, of betraying his former comrade and being behind the military takeover. Normally the wishes of the dead are respected, but when alive, Mugabe defied the wishes of some of his liberation war colleagues who asked not to be buried at Harare's Heroes Acre, the shrine for freedom fighters. It seemed as though Mr Mnangagwa was going to do the same - he announced that a special grave would be built for his predecessor at Heroes Acre.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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