Political Reporter
HARARE — Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) following his surprise return to Zimbabwe after nearly seven years in self-imposed exile.
However, skeptics have expressed doubts over the sincerity of Muzembi’s alleging that his arrest with many suspecting that it is could be one of scripts preceding his impending integration into the ruling Zanu-PF party.
Political analysts have anonymously questioned why Mzembi returned secretly on the back of suspicions that he met top government officials before being incarcerated.
“The whole saga raises more questions than answers but I suspect the ex-cabinet minister will soon be reintegrated into party systems,” said an anonymous political analyst.
ZACC confirmed that Mzembi, 61, was taken into custody on Thursday, 13 June 2025, in connection with long-standing charges of criminal abuse of office and theft of trust property. He has since been remanded in custody and is expected to appear before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 16 June.
A warrant for Mzembi’s arrest was initially issued in 2018 after he absconded from trial while facing allegations of converting public assets for personal use. The most prominent charge relates to allegations that he misappropriated television screens worth approximately US$2 million, which were procured for the 2010 FIFA World Cup public viewing programme during his tenure as Tourism Minister.
Mzembi fled Zimbabwe citing urgent cancer treatment in South Africa, but later claimed he was a victim of political persecution in the aftermath of former President Robert Mugabe’s dramatic ouster in 2017. Until his return this week, he had been living in Zambia and was an outspoken supporter of fellow exiled minister Saviour Kasukuwere, whose own bid to run for president from South Africa was thwarted by Zimbabwean courts in 2023.
Sources close to the ruling ZANU PF allege that Mzembi’s sudden reappearance was quietly brokered by Phillip Chabata, a prominent war veteran and close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. According to insiders, Mzembi met Mnangagwa at State House early Wednesday morning in what is widely believed to have been a last-ditch attempt to negotiate his safe return and possible political rehabilitation.
His low-key return, despite an active warrant of arrest, immediately sparked speculation about factional manoeuvres and backroom deals within ZANU PF’s ranks. Some analysts suggest his re-engagement with the ruling elite could signal a new phase of political realignment ahead of the 2028 elections.
ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure told reporters that the Commission acted in line with the outstanding warrant. “We have a duty to ensure that no one is above the law. Mr Mzembi is in custody and will face the charges as directed by the courts,” he said.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba declined to comment on the reported meeting between Mnangagwa and Mzembi, while the ex-minister’s legal team remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Mzembi’s return has rattled other prominent Mugabe-era loyalists still living abroad. Several high-profile figures, including former ministers and senior security chiefs, have so far resisted calls to return home, citing fears of arrest or political retribution under the current administration.
Political analysts warn that Mzembi’s arrest may deter rather than encourage exiles to come back, unless the government demonstrates a credible framework for fair trials and guarantees against selective prosecution.
As the nation waits for Monday’s court proceedings, Mzembi’s fate could become a litmus test for the Mnangagwa government’s commitment to due process and the rule of law — or a new flashpoint in Zimbabwe’s enduring struggle with the ghosts of its turbulent recent past.
