HARARE – Former foreign minister Walter Mzembi is facing further delays in his long-running corruption trial after the Harare High Court postponed proceedings to allow his lawyers time to prepare.
The trial was scheduled to commence on Tuesday, but Mzembi’s legal team told the court they had only been served with the consolidated case docket on the same day, leaving them inadequately prepared to proceed.
High Court judge Benjamin Chikowero, who is presiding over the matter, adjourned the trial and set new hearing dates for January 28 and 30, and February 3.
Mzembi, who is reportedly ill while in custody, is facing charges of theft of trust property and criminal abuse of office linked to his tenure as tourism minister.
He was denied bail and remanded in custody in July last year after returning to Zimbabwe from South Africa and Zambia, where he had lived for nearly six years.
The courts confirmed that there were outstanding warrants for his arrest, issued after he failed to surrender his passport on November 19, 2018. The passport – held by the state as part of Mzembi’s bail conditions – had earlier been temporarily released to allow him to seek medical treatment in South Africa.
Mzembi also failed to appear in court on January 18, 2019, citing prolonged treatment for colon cancer. A magistrate rejected the explanation and revoked his bail.
Prosecutors allege that Mzembi unlawfully converted television sets valued at approximately US$2 million, which had been procured for public fan parks during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, for personal use.
The state claims the televisions were donated to United Family International Church, led by Emmanuel Makandiwa, in Harare.
Mzembi has denied wrongdoing, with his lawyers arguing that the donation was approved by cabinet and therefore did not amount to criminal conduct.
The post Ailing Walter Mzembi faces fresh trial delays appeared first on Zimbabwe News Now.