HARARE
–
A
court
on
Monday
dismissed
an
application
by
former
foreign
minister
Walter
Mzembi,
who
was
challenging
a
decision
to
prosecute
him
over
theft
of
trust
property.
Harare
magistrate
Donald
Ndirowei
gave
no
reasons
as
he
tossed
Mzembi’s
application
challenging
his
placement
on
remand.
The
61-year-old
was
arrested
on
June
14
after
ending
his
seven-year
exile.
Mzembi
had
been
charged
with
theft
of
trust
property
in
2018
when
he
asked
a
court
to
vary
his
bail
conditions
to
enable
him
to
travel
to
South
Africa
for
cancer
treatment.
He
missed
his
court
dates
and
three
warrants
for
his
arrest
were
issued.
When
he
appeared
in
court
following
his
latest
arrest,
magistrate
Ndirowei
cancelled
his
bail
after
finding
him
in
wilful
default.
Mzembi
was
remanded
to
July
18
for
a
hearing
at
which
he
is
set
to
be
given
a
trial
date.
Charges
against
the
former
Masvingo
South
MP
stem
from
his
spell
as
the
country’s
tourism
and
hospitality
minister.
He
is
accused
of
donating
televisions
worth
$2
million
which
had
been
bought
for
the
2010
FIFA
World
Cup
fanparks
to
Emmanuel
Makandiwa’s
mega-church
in
Chitungwiza.