Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe will be buried in his home town in Zvimba, according to a statement from the government.
The announcement marks the latest twist in a row over the final resting place of the former leader.
Mugabe died earlier this month at the age of 95. The former president was once celebrated as an independence hero, but his 37-year rule left his country deeply divided and nearly broke.
The government originally said Mugabe would be buried in the country’s National Heroes Acre monument in the capital city of Harare. However, Mugabe’s family didn’t agree with the plan and complained the government did not consult them.
The family insisted the former president be laid to rest in his hometown in the Zvimba district west of Harare.
After a brief standoff, the two sides appeared to reach a compromise, announcing that Mugabe’s body would go to Zvimba to allow people there to pay their respects, before being transported back to Harare for a burial at the National Heroes Acre.
However, according to the statement released by Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Paul Mangwana on Thursday, the family “has expressed its desire to proceed with his burial with Zvimba.”
“In line with Government policy to respect the wishes of families of deceased heroes, Government is cooperating with the Mugabe family in their new position,” Mangwana said in the statement.