By A Correspondent| Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has mounted a legal challenge against his continued placement on remand as his trial on charges of theft of trust property resumed on Monday — seven years after it was stalled when he left Zimbabwe.

Mzembi, who is accused of misappropriating public assets during his tenure as Tourism Minister, returned to the dock at the Harare Magistrates’ Court where his lawyers argued that keeping him on remand violated his constitutional rights, citing the long delay in prosecution.

His trial had been shelved since 2018 when he reportedly left Zimbabwe for medical treatment in South Africa and did not return, prompting authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest. He was eventually removed from the police wanted list late last year, paving the way for proceedings to resume.

The case centres around allegations that Mzembi unlawfully disposed of government-owned vehicles and equipment that had been acquired for public events, including the 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) general assembly co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia.

During today’s court session, Mzembi’s legal team insisted that the State had failed to prosecute the matter within a reasonable time, rendering his remand placement both prejudicial and unconstitutional.

Presiding magistrate Donald Ndirowei postponed ruling on the application to July 9, when the court is expected to decide whether the trial will proceed or if the matter should be struck off the roll.

The National Prosecuting Authority has opposed the application, maintaining that the delay was caused by Mzembi’s own absence and that the charges remain serious.

Mzembi, once considered a rising star within ZANU PF, was expelled from the party following the 2017 coup that ousted the late Robert Mugabe. He has since kept a relatively low political profile, occasionally commenting on Zimbabwean affairs from abroad.