Online Reporter
Harare Bureau
FORMER Cabinet Minister Walter Mzembi, who was arrested on Friday on allegations of skipping trial in 2018 over charges of criminal abuse of office and theft of trust property, was yesterday remanded in custody until tomorrow.
Mzembi, who has been reportedly living outside the country for the past few years, had his case handled by magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei at the Harare Magistrates Court.
He was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) upon his return last week.
Zacc spokesperson Ms Simiso Mlevu said yesterday: “Zacc confirms the arrest of Mr Walter Mzembi on June 13, 2025. This follows a warrant for Mr Mzembi’s arrest issued in 2018 after he absconded from court, on charges of criminal abuse of duty and theft of trust property.
“He has been remanded in custody to Monday (June 16, 2025). He has since appeared before Magistrate Donald Ndirowei, while Ms Tendai Shonhayi prosecuted.”
Mzembi is expected to explain why he failed to attend criminal court hearings since November 2018, after the court temporarily released his travelling documents, to allow him to seek medical attention in South Africa.
The ex-Cabinet Minister had applied for the temporary release of his passport, and it was granted on condition that he would return it to the Clerk of Court at the Harare Magistrates Court on or before November 19, 2018.
After he failed to appear before the Harare Magistrates Court on the theft of trust property charges, he again did not show up on January 18, 2019 to answer to criminal abuse of office charges and also failed to return the passport.
This led the courts to issue another separate warrant of arrest.
Mzembi’s lawyer, Mr Taurai Killian Mandiki of Chiturumani Law Chambers, yesterday indicated that his client intended to apply for cancellation of the warrants of arrest on medical grounds.
The former Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister also briefly served as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2017.
Allegations against him in the original case stem from alleged misappropriation of funds related to the hosting of the UN World Tourism Organisation.
