President reassures Mugabe family of properties

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said his party, ZANU-PF, was determined to transfer title deeds of the imposing Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale and a Mount Pleasant property to the late former President Robert Mugabe’s family.

ZANU-PF secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said President Mnangagwa had informed him that the ruling party will transfer title deeds of the two properties in the near future, to the late national hero’s family.

The clarification came as Dr Mpofu had been quoted in the media insinuating that the ruling party was considering converting the two properties into museums and derive benefits for the party.

Dr Mpofu set the record straight. “I was in a meeting with President Mnangagwa today (yesterday), who advised me that the party will transfer title deeds of the two properties to the family as promised.

“Nothing has changed on the party’s commitment to transfer the two properties,” said Dr Mpofu.

Cde Mugabe, who died on September 6 in Singapore, was declared a national hero by ZANU-PF, but his family indicated that he wished to be buried in Kutama, Zvimba, in Mashonaland West Province.

He was buried on Saturday. Recently, the Mugabe family spokesperson Mr Leo Mugabe confirmed that Zimbabwe’s late founding father did not own both the Blue Roof mansion and the Mount Pleasant house occupied by Mrs Bona MugabeChikore.

“The issue of properties is being handled by the President. He is handling the issue to ensure the family is safe. I was told by President Mnangagwa that the party will help to transfer the title deeds of the properties to the former President’s family,” he said.

Mr Mugabe said ZANU-PF owned the land on which the two houses were built.

“It’s so funny (that) the party (ZANU-PF) is the one that bought the first house in Mt Pleasant and the land for the Blue Roof property. It leaves the former President Mugabe without a house in Harare,” he said. Dr Mpofu

◆ said they were doing the paperwork to transfer the properties to the Mugabe family.

In his tribute to Cde Mugabe during a State funeral held at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, President Mnangagwa said Cde Mugabe’s legacy was a springboard for economic development.

He described Cde Mugabe as a “giant African tree that has fallen”.

“He taught a generation, led a nation, inspired a continent, spoke for the oppressed and defined the politics and economics of an epoch. The man who lies before us was for years our leader, our commander, mentor and President, both in the party and Government.

“Today, Southern Africa mourns the sad loss of front-liner. Today, Africa weeps, grieving over the loss of a true Pan-African,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said during his lifetime, Cde Mugabe was vilified and given “many false names” to present him in bad light, but he remained a true African icon.