Former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi is reportedly in declining health while in remand prison, with government insiders alleging that he has run out of essential, specialised medication—and efforts to source more are being deliberately frustrated by authorities.
Government sources say Mzembi, 61, is facing severe health complications that are worsening daily due to lack of access to proper medical care.
“He’s not doing well. His health is deteriorating and the situation is getting worse by the day,” one source claimed.
“The medication he relies on has run out, and attempts to get it from outside the country are being blocked.”
Mzembi was arrested on June 14 after unexpectedly returning to Zimbabwe from South Africa, where he had lived for about seven years while avoiding trial on charges of corruption and criminal abuse of office.
He originally left Zimbabwe in 2018 after securing court permission to seek urgent cancer treatment abroad, but never returned.
In a twist described by sources as “cruel irony,” Mzembi and his wife were reportedly granted American Green Cards the day after his arrest.
“His wife has since relocated to the United States,” another insider revealed. “That has complicated his access to international medical assistance, especially with the regime standing in the way.”
There are also unconfirmed claims from within the ruling establishment that Mzembi’s continued incarceration is being used as a tool for political punishment and retribution over his past links to the G40 faction.
“The talk within is that 8 to 12 months is being seen as enough time for political revenge—or what they call rehabilitation—for his G40 sins,” a source familiar with the discussions alleged.
However, fears are mounting that such a prolonged detention could prove fatal given his fragile health condition.
“Honestly, at the rate things are going, 8 to 12 months could be beyond him,” said a concerned insider.
Mzembi, a former Member of Parliament for Masvingo South and one-time rising star within ZANU-PF, now finds himself in the crosshairs of a system many believe is more interested in settling scores than administering justice.
