Mugabe’s body arrives home

The body of Zimbabwe’s long time former leader, Robert Mugabe arrived home from Singapore at the country’s main airport on Wednesday, but it was still unclear where he would be buried amid a dispute between some family members and the government.

Thousands of people gathered to watch as the plane carrying the freedom fighter's remains landed at Harare's international airport, early in the afternoon.

The coffin was accompanied by Grace Mugabe, the president's widow, who had been living in Singapore with her husband since April. 

Mugabe's body will lie in state in Harare and at his home village in Zwimba before a funeral ceremony attended by international dignitaries at the capital's main sports stadium planned for Saturday. 

But an acrimonious row over his final resting place is yet to be resolved, fuelling rumours in the Zimbabwean capital that the ceremony may be postponed.

Mugabe, one of the last “Big Men” of African politics, ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was ousted by his own army in November 2017. 

He died in a Singapore hospital five days ago aged 95.

Fight over where he will be buried threatens to embarrass his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and deepen divisions in the ruling ZANU-PF party that he helped form decades ago.