HARARE — Zimbabwean agriculture minister Perrance Shiri died of COVID-19, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on Thursday.
Shiri, a retired Air Chief Marshall, died early Wednesday morning, a few days after his driver succumbed to the virus.
Mnangagwa, accompanied by the country’s two vice presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, told mourners gathered at Shiri’s home in Harare that post mortem results had revealed that the late national hero died of COVID-19.
He said as a result, Shiri’s burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on Friday will be done in line with World Health Organization guidelines on COVID-19.
Shiri was the first cabinet minister in Zimbabwe to die of COVID-19.
Zimbabwe has reported 2,879 COVID-19 cases, with 41 deaths and 887 recoveries as of Wednesday.
