Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
FORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has been remanded in custody after the Harare Magistrates Court confirmed three outstanding warrants of arrest against him.
The warrants were issued following his failure to appear in court since November 2018.
Presiding Magistrate Donald Ndirowei yesterday dismissed Mzembi’s application to cancel the warrants, ruling that his default was deliberate.
“It is a matter of record that the accused has been on an outstanding warrant of arrest for over seven years. The State has successfully demonstrated that the accused violated his bail conditions. His warrants of arrest are hereby confirmed, his bail revoked, and he is committed to prison pending trial,” said Magistrate Ndirowei.
Mzembi, who faces charges of theft of trust property and criminal abuse of office, was remanded in custody until July 1.
Acting Deputy Prosecutor General Ms Tendai Shonhayi opposed the application, arguing that Mzembi failed to provide a reasonable explanation for his failure to appear in court since 2019.
“There is no credible explanation as to why the accused defaulted court for such a prolonged period. The attached medical reports would have sufficed had he presented them in 2019, but not in 2025,” said Ms Shonhayi.
She further highlighted inconsistencies in Mzembi’s claims, noting that after being discharged from medical care in Zambia in 2024, he made no effort to return and cancel his warrants.
“While claiming to be critically ill, Mzembi actively participated in political campaigns, serving as Savior Kasukuwere’s campaign manager for the 2023 Harmonised Elections. He also remained active on social media,” Ms Shonhayi added.
However, Mzembi’s lawyer, Mr Killian Mandiki, argued that his client’s default was not intentional.
He said Mzembi had been diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer and underwent surgery, which required ongoing medical care and multiple hospital admissions due to life-threatening complications.
Mandiki explained that Mzembi relocated to Zambia in early 2024 for specialised treatment after he was unable to continue his care in South Africa due to travel document issues.
The former Cabinet minister is accused of failing to return his passport by November 19, 2018, and missing a court appearance on January 18, 2019.
The charges stem from allegations that he converted television sets worth US$2 million — purchased for fan parks during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — to personal use while serving as Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
