PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has told critics only members of his Zanu PF party will be buried at the national Heroes Acre in Harare and said those unhappy with the development were free to establish separate shrines for their own heroes.

The Zanu PF politburo has, since independence, exclusively selected the country’s national heroes most of whom are then buried at the North Korea-built shrine just outside the capital.

The party has consistently ignored calls for a non-partisan selection process from opposition groups.

But critics say Mugabe has used the honour to punish critics as well as reward loyalists, some of them undeserving of the accolade.

Frustration over the process has seen some key figures in the country’s independence struggle who also spent most of their lives in government service refusing to be buried at the shrine, most recently Thenjiwe Lesabe and Welshman Mabhena.

Mabhena pointedly insisted that he would not be buried among “thieves and crooks”.

But President Mugabe has again reiterated that only Zanu PF members who had shown consisted loyalty to the party would be buried at the shrine.

Speaking at the funeral wake of politburo member David Karimanzira who died at a Harare hospital on Thursday, Mugabe said those unhappy with selection process were free to establish their own shrines at any of the country’s innumerate hills and mountains.

Speaking in shona, the Zanu PF leader told mourners: "Kune vamwe vakati toda kuendesawo vedu ikoko, asi takati kwete. Zvikomo zvakazara munyika muno. Ngavatsvagewo chavo chikomo vavigane ikoko”.

Mugabe said there had not been any need a Politburo vote over Karimanzira’s Hero status.

“We did not even have to vote because everyone agreed that he should be buried at the National Heroes Acre.

The former Harare governor, who was 64, would be buried on Sunday or Monday, Zanu PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa said.