HARARE, Zimbabwe — Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi remains in custody nearly a month after his arrest, as a Harare court on Monday dismissed his application challenging placement on remand in a long-running corruption case.
Magistrate Donald Ndirowei had earlier ruled that Mzembi’s failure to appear in court since November 2018 was “deliberate,” rejecting claims that his absence was due to ill health.
Mzembi, who was arrested on June 17 by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for breaching bail conditions in two separate cases, had sought to overturn the court’s decision to confirm three outstanding warrants of arrest against him. The court instead ordered that he return on Friday for allocation of a trial date.
Prosecutors say Mzembi violated bail by failing to surrender a passport that had been temporarily released to him and by failing to return to court on time. A Harare magistrate has already revoked his bail.
Through his lawyer, Mzembi argued he had not defaulted willfully, saying he was battling a life-threatening illness that kept him hospitalized for prolonged periods. He said he returned to Zimbabwe only after his health improved. But the court dismissed that explanation, saying he was not too ill to stand trial.
The magistrate also noted that Mzembi had remained politically active while abroad, serving as the campaign manager for exiled former Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
Mzembi, who previously served as tourism and hospitality minister, is facing multiple charges including theft of trust property, fraud and criminal abuse of office. He is accused, along with former ministry consultant Aaron Dzingira Mushoriwa, 62, and ex-permanent secretary Margret Sangarwe, 59, of diverting $1.6 million in donations from Mbada Diamonds and Zimplats to purchase luxury vehicles for personal use.
He also faces charges related to the unauthorized donation of state-owned television sets to three churches — the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD), United Family International Church (UFIC), and Zimbabwe Christian Church (ZCC).
Mzembi is due back in court on Friday.
