By Patience Gondo
Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi will remain behind bars after the High Court dismissed his latest bail application, ruling that his past conduct showed he was likely to flee if released.
Justice Dembure said Mzembi had failed to convince the court that he would not abscond again, saying that his history and the seriousness of the charges made him a high flight risk.
The ruling extends the 61-year-old politician’s detention, which has now stretched to 73 days.
The decision comes days after a Harare regional magistrate, Donald Ndirowei, also dismissed Mzembi’s application challenging his placement on remand.
The magistrate postponed the case to Friday, when a trial date is expected to be set.
Mzembi was arrested on June 14 after unexpectedly returning to Zimbabwe from South Africa, where he had lived for about seven years. Throughout the post-Robert Mugabe era, authorities have issued multiple warrants of arrest against him dating back to 2018.
The Herald reported that the courts recently confirmed three outstanding warrants linked to his earlier failure to stand trial.
The former Masvingo South MP is accused of corruption dating back to his time in government, although the current charges have not yet been publicly detailed. In previous cases, prosecutors alleged that he abused public office, while former Energy Minister Samuel Undenge arrested alongside him in earlier proceedings was accused of issuing a US$12,650 contract without proper tender procedures.
Mzembi served as Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry before briefly taking over as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2017. He left Zimbabwe shortly after Mugabe’s ouster and was later listed among former ministers who fled to South Africa before their criminal trials were completed.
With the High Court refusing bail and magistrates confirming longstanding warrants, Mzembi is now set to face trial while in custody, marking a dramatic turn for a politician once seen at the heart of Mugabe’s cabinet