By Crime and Courts Reporter– Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has been denied bail and remanded in custody until July 1, when his long-delayed trial is expected to commence.

Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei made the ruling on Monday, citing Mzembi’s continued presence on social media while in self-imposed exile as a key reason for rejecting his bail application.

Mzembi was arrested last Friday by officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), shortly after quietly returning to Zimbabwe and meeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House. 

He is accused of defaulting on court appearances dating back to 2019 and failing to comply with three outstanding warrants of arrest.

His lawyer, Mr. Killian Mandiki, submitted that Mzembi had not willfully absconded, arguing that his client had received court permission to temporarily retain his passport in late 2018 to seek emergency medical treatment in South Africa.

Diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer, Mzembi reportedly underwent surgery there before relocating to Zambia in early 2024 due to travel document complications.

Mandiki told the court that upon arriving in Zambia, Mzembi’s condition deteriorated sharply, requiring urgent hospitalization, oxygen support, and close medical monitoring for over 10 days. Medical records were tendered to support his claim.

However, the State—represented by Acting Deputy Prosecutor-General Ms. Tendai Shonhayi—argued that Mzembi failed to make any effort to return and cancel his arrest warrants after his alleged recovery in Zambia in 2024.

The prosecution further noted that despite his medical claims, Mzembi actively campaigned on social media for Saviour Kasukuwere during the 2023 presidential elections.

In his ruling, Magistrate Ndirowei said, “There is a gap as to what transpired with his medical condition. The attached reports could have been useful had he presented himself in 2019, not in 2025.” He further noted that after his reported discharge in 2024, Mzembi made no effort to regularize his legal status or surrender to the courts.

“He was not sick to the extent he wants the court to believe. He was active on social media and politically involved,” Ndirowei stated. He concluded that the State had proven, on a balance of probabilities, that Mzembi had defaulted willfully.

Consequently, Ndirowei confirmed the warrants of arrest, revoked bail, and committed Mzembi to remand prison pending trial.

Apart from the issue of absconding, Mzembi also faces charges of criminal abuse of office. 

Prosecutors allege that as Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, he misappropriated television sets worth US$2 million that were procured for fan parks during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. 

He is also accused of failing to return his passport by November 19, 2018, and missing a scheduled court appearance on January 18, 2019.