Security Beefed Up To Keep Grave Robbers Away From Wicknell and Lulu In Royal Estate By Fanuel Viriri Sahwira Glen Forest Memorial Park has beefed up security at the final resting place of Wicknell and Lulu Chivayo to deter grave robbers during and after interment. Although the park is gated and secured, it is anticipated […]

Security Beefed Up To Keep Grave Robbers Away From Wicknell and Lulu  In Royal Estate

By Fanuel Viriri

Sahwira Glen Forest Memorial Park has beefed up security at the final resting place of Wicknell and Lulu Chivayo to deter grave robbers during and after interment.

Although the park is gated and secured, it is anticipated that grave robbers might want to take a chance, hence the additional security at the Royal Estate – a special section of the memorial park that holds over 10,000 burials of both ordinary citizens and the rich and famous.

The move comes amid heightened public interest following reports that the couple will be interred in high-value caskets. The 84-hectare park on the northern edge of Harare already operates controlled access, CCTV surveillance and night patrols, but sources say additional measures will be deployed around the Royal Estate. These are expected to include dedicated guards, restricted access during and after burial, and increased monitoring in the days following interment.

Funeral industry experts say high-profile burials involving gold and designer caskets often attract unwanted attention. In the past, attempts to tamper with graves have been driven by myths around wealth, ritual beliefs and the resale value of expensive coffin fittings. Even where the actual gold content is not retrievable, rumours alone are enough to draw criminals. In some cases, close relatives put expensive ornaments, such as favourite watches, in the coffin to be buried with the deceased, making such graves targets for robbers.

The concern has been amplified by the display of luxury car-themed caskets at the Chivayo funeral.

Wicknell and Lulu will be buried in two white caskets – one with a Rolls-Royce grille bearing registration WMC 777 and another with a Mercedes-Benz front – alongside the reported US$217,000 Malaysian-made 14-carat gold coffin. Industry players say the car caskets cost between US$4,500 and US$7,500 each locally, but the gold casket and its associated fittings could make the grave a target for determined robbers

Park officials have not yet commented publicly, but tightening security at the Royal Estate would be in line with its new positioning as a premium memorial destination.