By A Correspondent| Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi is reaping the bitter fruits of a political gamble gone wrong, according to UK-based political analyst Brighton Mutebuka, who says the exiled politician is now paying the price for his “monumental error of judgment” in aligning himself with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime post-2017.

In a sharply worded social media post, Mutebuka said Mzembi had effectively thrown himself “into the croc’s jaws uninvited” — a metaphor for willingly stepping into Mnangagwa’s clutches — only to be politically devoured.

“Mzembi continues to suffer for his monumental error of judgment in effectively launching himself into the croc’s jaws uninvited. Inevitably, the croc chose to feast on him,” Mutebuka posted, adding that while Mzembi may eventually recover, he will never be considered a key player in Zanu PF’s inner sanctum.

“The only silver lining is that, once the debt has been settled, he will eventually be able to reclaim his life back, as the croc doesn’t consider him to be an apex predator,” Mutebuka wrote, suggesting that Mzembi remains a disposable figure in the current political hierarchy.

Mzembi, who fled Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the November 2017 coup that ousted longtime ruler Robert Mugabe, was one of the few G40-linked figures to signal a willingness to work with Mnangagwa’s administration. However, his efforts to rebrand and reintegrate appear to have hit a wall.

Mutebuka’s remarks come amid speculation that Mzembi, once tipped for higher office, has been politically sidelined and left in the wilderness, with pending corruption charges hanging over his head and no clear pathway back into mainstream politics.

“When I previously warned that this would be the most likely outcome, many disagreed,” Mutebuka said. “They argued that Mzembi would be given a slap on the wrist before being welcomed back into Vene’s fold. Well, there it is!”

The term Vene is commonly used in Zimbabwe’s political discourse to refer to the real power brokers within the ruling Zanu PF party — a clique often shrouded in secrecy and political intrigue.

Mzembi’s political trajectory has been the subject of fierce debate, with some seeing him as a reformist voice within the old guard, while others viewed his attempts at re-entry as naïve and opportunistic.

As it stands, the man who once mingled with global leaders as Zimbabwe’s foreign minister is now a cautionary tale of misplaced allegiance in a ruthless political terrain dominated by predators — and very few survivors.