HARARE – Former foreign affairs minister Walter Mzembi was arrested on Friday and appeared in court on Saturday as prosecutors revealed he had three outstanding arrest warrants.
Mzembi will spend the weekend in jail after magistrate Donald Ndirowei postponed the matter to Monday when the former foreign affairs minister will attempt to explain away his absence which stalled his criminal abuse of office trial in 2018.
His lawyer Killian Mandike submitted medical documents which he said will prove that Mzembi did not wilfully default, but was in fact undergoing treatment in South Africa.
Ndirowei said there was no time to hear arguments over the default, postponing the inquiry to Monday.
The former Masvingo South MP, who lost his ministerial job after a military coup that ousted the late Robert Mugabe, is believed to have returned to Zimbabwe on Tuesday last week from Zambia, where he was self-exiled.
On Wednesday, Mzembi made efforts to see President Emmerson Mnangagwa but was rebuffed even after arriving at State House, ZimLive understands.
He returned to Zambia, returning to the country on Friday after speaking to Mnangagwa by phone, a source said.
Mzembi is confident he will win the court’s favour over the administrative warrants, amid indications Zanu PF officials in Masvingo have been heavily lobbying Mnangagwa to allow him to return to the fold.
Mzembi had claimed political persecution over his arrest which followed his instructions, as tourism minister, to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to buy televisions for fan parks during the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa.
At the end of the World Cup, Mzembi donated the televisions to the United Family International Church, founded by prosperity gospel preacher Emmanuel Makandiwa.
Mzembi’s trial will be closely watched by other former Mugabe allies who are scattered around the world fearing politically-motivated arrests as Mnangagwa seeks to consolidate control over his fractious Zanu PF party.
