Mzembi Seeks Discharge In US$200,000 Church Screen Donation Case

Former Tourism and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi, accused of improperly donating public viewing screens worth US$200,000 to three churches, is now seeking to be discharged at the end of the State’s case.

This follows the State calling its final witness, investigating officer Eric Chacha from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

Presiding judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero is expected to give his ruling on February 17.

Chacha told the court that his investigation showed Mzembi had not followed proper legal and procedural steps when making the donations. He said:

“Sometime in 2017, I was assigned to investigate allegations of criminal abuse of duty involving public viewing screens donated to Zion Christian Church, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries and United Family International Church.”

Chacha told the court that he had requested documents from the Ministry of Tourism outlining the procurement of the screens, as well as correspondence related to their donation.

He also sought records from the Ministry of Finance regarding Treasury approvals for the purchases.

Chacha testified that the Treasury had released US$2 million for the acquisition of 40 public viewing screens.

He said some screens had been loaned to other government institutions and private entities with proper Treasury approval, which included written conditions governing their management.

However, in the case involving the three churches, Chacha said no such Treasury approval had been obtained.

Mzembi was arrested on 14 June 2025 after returning to Zimbabwe from seven years of self-imposed exile in South Africa.

He has remained in remand prison since, after the courts rejected his bail application.

More: The Herald