Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday said 11 heads of State had so far confirmed attendance at former President Robert Mugabe’s funeral parade slated for the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by members of the ruling ZANU-PF politburo and service chiefs, visited the grieving Mugabe family at its residence Thursday to pay his condolences following Mugabe’s death last Friday.

Mugabe died in Singapore last Friday aged 95.

Addressing mourners, Mnangagwa pledged his full support to the former First Family and said he would discuss further details on date and place of burial with Mugabe’s widow, Grace.

Mnangagwa said the late former president would forever remain an icon and champion of the liberation struggle.

He denied social media reports that he had sought to bribe traditional leaders who visited him earlier during the week so that they could influence the government’s preferred burial place for Mugabe.

While the government wants him to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, some family members are understood to be keen on following his wishes that he should be buried next to his mother in his rural home area of Zvimba.