Mugabe builds £2m shrine for himself in Zvimba

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 May 2007

Robert Mugabe is reportedly spending £2 million on his own personal museum close to his rural home in Zvimba, despite the country facing severe shortages of food and fuel.

While Zimbabweans are barely managing to scrape a living in the face of a crumbling economy whose inflation is officially at 3,700 percent, but in reality much more, the Zanu (PF) leader has decided to construct a shrine to his life and achievements.

According to media reports work has already begun on the ‘personnel shrine’ in his home district of Zvimba in Mashonaland West. A cabinet minister quoted by the press said groundwork for the construction of the museum is at an advanced stage and that Mugabe wanted the project to be speeded up so he can open it next year.

The construction will come as a shock to millions of Zimbabweans who face 80 per cent unemployment and severe shortages of staple foods such as maize and wheat. Local government minister Ignatius Chombo is supervising the building, which will cover an area the size of a football pitch.

Ben Moyo who comes from Zvimba said, ‘If you look at countries like the United States or UK former leaders there have built foundations that are very helpful in research work. But what can one learn from Mugabe’s history other than dictatorship.’

Once complete the museum will house Mugabe’s prison letters, photographs from the war in the sixties and seventies against the minority white government of Ian Smith, his old clothes and copies of his speeches. It will also display some of the many gifts he has received during his 27 years in office from those who have enjoyed his patronage - most of them members of his ruling Zanu PF party. Giving a clue to Mugabe’s attitude to conservation and wildlife pride of place is expected to be taken by a 5 metre long stuffed Nile crocodile - a recent birthday gift from Mugabe’s loyal ministers and officials.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa accused Mugabe of self-aggrandisement. He added; ‘this is no time for self-glorification for individuals, and it shows how skewed government’s priorities are. People are struggling to survive and this will be an island of opulence in a sea of poverty. It’s going to be a white elephant and it is a waste of state resources.’

It’s unlikely the ‘shrine’ will show anything of the tragedy of the Gukurahundi and Operation Murambatsvina