Former minister, Walter Muzembi arrested

Former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi – who ended his rising political career under the late former president Robert Mugabe as Foreign Affairs minister – has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) for a case dating back to 2018.

He will appear in court anytime from now.

Mzembi returned home from Zambia three days ago in a bid to fix unresolved political issues with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government after the 2017 coup fallout.

Contrary to media reports, he did not meet Mnangagwa.

After surprisingly arriving in Harare to fix his proper return home and subsequently failing to meet Mnangagwa, Mzembi, who was former minister and Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere’s campaign manager during 2023 general elections, was left exposed and vulnerable.

The now South African-based Kasukuwere, working with Mzembi then, tried to challenge Mnangagwa in 2023, but was barred from the presidential election.

Kasukuwere, Mzembi and others, including Jonathan Moyo, who were Mugabe allies fighting Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF faction over the ruling party’s contentious succession issue, escaped the coup in 2017.

Kasukuwere returned home in 2018, but left after failing to secure his stay, leading to his departure again.

While briefly home, he was arrested for skipping the border and appeared in court. He was also charged with four counts of criminal abuse of office.

Without political protection for Mzembi, Zacc moved in on him yesterday and revived the 2018 corruption case, starting with his warrant of arrest.

Mzembi was first arrested on 5 January 2018 and appeared in court the next day where he was granted bail.

Following his corruption case in 2018 and subsequent court appearances, Mzembi was issued with a warrant in 2019 for skipping trial where he was accused of converting televisions worth close to US$1 million, bought for fan parks during the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa, to his own use.

Mzembi was accused of donating 16 television sets worth US$800 000 to churches, including the Walter Magaya-led Prophetic Healing and Deliverance ministry and Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church, among others.

To avoid trial, Mzembi left the country in 2018, a year after the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power after ousting Mugabe, facing further allegations, including misappropriating US$1.6 million meant for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 2013.

The National Prosecuting Authority gave notice at the time that it would seek Interpol’s help to secure his extradition. When he left in 2018, Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa had set September 26 and 29 then as dates for the commencement of trial.

In the first case, Mzembi was accused of misappropriating US$1.6 million in UNWTO funds for the 2013 conference in Victoria Falls.

The UNWTO General Assembly in 2013 was co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe. Prosecutors claimed they had recovered US$261 386 of that amount at the time.

The second case was that of TVs.

His lawyer was Job Sikhala, a close relative.

Mzembi faced many corruption charges, but him and four accomplices were acquitted on a case of theft of trust property valued US$1.8 million, fundraised for the 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference.

Prosecutors had charged him and four others, including the then tourism secretary Magret Mukahanana Sangarwe, of converting to their own use four Ford Ranger vehicles bought for use during the UNWTO summit hosted in Victoria Falls by Zimbabwe and Zambia.

On that case, they were between 2019 and 2021.