HARARE
–
Former
tourism
minister
Walter
Mzembi
has
been
granted
US$1,000
bail
pending
judgement
in
his
corruption
trial
after
failing
in
at
least
three
previous
bail
applications.
Justice
Benjamin
Chikowero,
who
presided
over
the
trial,
ordered
Mzembi’s
release
on
Monday
with
strict
conditions:
he
must
deposit
the
bail
amount,
surrender
his
passport,
remain
at
his
Harare
address,
and
not
travel
beyond
a
30km
radius
of
the
court.
His
lawyer
Emmanuel
Samundombe,
said
Mzembi
remained
in
custody
late
Monday
due
to
a
mix-up
with
his
release
papers
but
was
expected
to
be
freed
on
Tuesday.
Mzembi,
62,
has
been
in
custody
since
June
2025
after
unexpectedly
returning
from
Zambia
–
his
chosen
home
after
the
collapse
of
Robert
Mugabe’s
government
in
a
2017
military
coup.
He
is
accused
of
donating
outdoor
television
sets
–
purchased
at
a
cost
of
US$2
million
for
2010
FIFA
World
Cup
fan
parks
–
to
several
churches,
including
Zion
Church
of
Christ,
UFIC
and
PHD
Ministries,
without
treasury
or
cabinet
approval.
At
trial,
Mzembi
testified
that
the
late
former
president
Robert
Mugabe
and
then
prime
minister
Morgan
Tsvangirai
had
authorised
the
donations
under
a
policy
of
promoting
“religious
tourism.”
Former
government
officials
who
testified
on
his
behalf
also
argued
that
Mzembi
was
not
the
accounting
officer
in
his
ministry
and
that
any
criminal
liability,
if
it
existed
at
all,
rested
with
the
permanent
secretary.
Mzembi,
who
has
been
battling
intestinal
cancer,
is
awaiting
judgment
in
the
case.