Former Zimbabwe Vice President Phekelezela Mphoko, who died in India at 84, will be buried at his private plot in Douglasdale, Bulawayo, despite receiving national hero status. Family spokesman Ndaba Mphoko confirmed the decision honors the late leader’s explicit wishes to avoid burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
The government declared Mphoko a national hero immediately after his death from an undisclosed illness, typically guaranteeing interment at the prestigious National Heroes Acre.
“We will formally submit written communication to the government to confirm this arrangement was in place prior to his passing,” Ndaba Mphoko told reporters. He added that the family expects a “dual responsibility” between government and relatives for repatriation plans.
The former vice president, who served from 2014 to 2017, joins a growing list of liberation war veterans choosing alternative burial sites over the national shrine.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former president who presided over numerous Heroes Acre ceremonies, similarly opted for burial at his rural home in Kutama rather than the national monument.
Other prominent figures rejecting Heroes Acre burial include former Matabeleland North governor Welshman Mabhena and ex-government minister Dumiso Dabengwa, who chose interment at his Ntabazinduna home.
The family has notified the government of the late VP’s burial wishes, though Ndaba Mphoko said he was unaware of specific reasons behind his brother’s decision.
Some liberation war veterans have declined Heroes Acre burial after feeling marginalized by national leadership, though Mphoko’s motivations remain unclear.
The government previously proceeded with Heroes Acre burials despite contrary wishes in some cases, including former ministers Tshinga Dube and Edgar Tekere.
