Former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi, once among the most visible faces of the Robert Mugabe era, is reported to be facing serious financial ruin after his wife allegedly disposed of properties valued at more than US$2 million and left the country, according to a report by TellZim News.
The former minister, who spent years in self-imposed exile alongside other remnants of the disbanded G40 faction, is said to have returned home to find his asset base hollowed out and is now reportedly staying at a relative’s house in Harare.
A fortune reportedly gone
Sources cited in the report claim that Barbra Hernandez, Mzembi’s wife, sold off a string of properties while he was abroad and then disappeared, leaving the former Masvingo South legislator with little to his name. Associates quoted in the account say he has been depending on the goodwill of his nephew, Amiel Matindike, who is said to have supported him during his time in custody.
Contacted for comment, Mzembi treated the claims lightly rather than denying or confirming them outright. He suggested the figures being circulated could actually understate the value of what was disposed of, and insisted he retains the means to rebuild his life.
“These are just rumours; but even if it is true, did they take all the brick and mortar and my brains?” he is quoted as saying, adding that he has his own remaining assets and has not lodged any formal complaint with anyone.
The former minister also appeared to draw a distinction between jointly held property and assets his wife owned in her own right, while indicating he has accepted the setback and intends to recover through his own efforts.
Legal questions over co-owned property
A legal expert who spoke to the publication noted that property held jointly cannot lawfully be transferred by one partner without the other’s consent. Under Zimbabwean law, a co-owner is normally required to sign the agreement of sale, or to issue a power of attorney authorising a representative to act on their behalf and to specify how their share of the proceeds should be handled.
That position raises questions about how the transactions described could have gone ahead, and whether the properties in question were registered in a single name. No court has pronounced on the matter and no charges are known to have been filed.
From Mugabe’s inner circle to political limbo
Mzembi’s political trajectory has been steep in both directions. He entered Parliament in 2004 after winning a by-election for Masvingo South following the death of Eddison Zvobgo, and was returned to the seat in 2005, 2008 and 2013. He chaired the portfolio committee on Agriculture, Lands and Resettlement and led Zimbabwe’s delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Europe between 2004 and 2007.
His stock rose further when he was appointed to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a role that made him one of the country’s most recognisable diplomats. He was widely viewed as a protégé of the late former president and was frequently mentioned in speculation about succession politics.
That chapter closed in November 2017 when the military-assisted transition ended Mugabe’s rule and scattered the G40 grouping. Mzembi left the country with figures including Saviour Kasukuwere and remained abroad for years.
Arrest, acquittal and an attempted comeback
He returned to Zimbabwe in June 2025, reportedly hoping to rejoin the ruling party, but was arrested soon after on allegations of criminal abuse of office over the donation of public viewing television screens to churches. He spent close to a year in detention before being acquitted on 13 May 2026.
Since his release, the former minister has been working to restore his standing in Zanu PF. His application for readmission was recently placed before a provincial executive council, and sources say he is angling for proximity to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is said to have promised him a vehicle and a farm. A visit to the President’s Pricabe Farm has been mentioned as forthcoming.
Observers note that the property dispute, if confirmed, would complicate any political rehabilitation, since a return to influence in Zimbabwean politics typically depends on visible financial standing as much as on party connections. For now, Mzembi’s public appearances have been marked by a striking sartorial consistency, with the former minister repeatedly photographed in the same purple suit at court hearings and funerals, an image that has fuelled talk of his reduced circumstances.
He has not commented on those observations, and the full picture of his finances remains unclear. What is certain is that a man who once sat at the centre of State power is now fighting to rebuild both his wealth and his political relevance from an unusually weak position.
