Exclusive: Self-exiled former cabinet minister Mzembi ‘deported’ from SA?

By Editor, Nigel Pfunde

Johannesburg: SELF -EXILED former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi is said to have ran into trouble with immigration officials in South Africa last weekend amid speculation that a deportation procces is in motion, Express Mail Zim can exclusively reveal.

The G40 acolyte,who has outstanding corruption charges before the courts in Harare had to fly out to Lusaka on Saturday and touched down at 14.00 hours after the ‘deportation scare’, investigations by this publication have established.

Although we could not immediately ascertain the actual reasons for the immigration skirmishes, our inside sources at the South African home affairs department said his immigration status was under scrutiny.

“Well, Walter (Mzembi) overstayed and automatically our immigration laws here do not allow such,he also tried to play with dates by visiting Lesotho.” said our source who preffered anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Express Mail Zim also understands that Mzembi holds an Eswatini passport and he is a blue eyed boy of the United States and our sources said this has caused animosity between him and his inner circle hence these seemingly politically motivated shenanigans which has also affected his child Gabriella in Spain.

Coincidentally,he has a scheduled interview for a United States visa on December 5 at the consulate in Sandton and this ‘deportation’ will deem it impossible.

Zambia is a safe haven for him given the ‘plastic smile ‘ diplomatic relations between Harare and Lusaka.

One of our multiple sources told us that to salvage the interview with the United States consulate in Sandton , South Africa ,Mzembi will have to submit an application citing special circumstances and seek to conduct the interview in Lusaka .

“At least the US consulate gives an applicant close to a week to advise on change of address and location of residence of service where relevant documents are delivered , so if he is well advised, he can promptly alert them of the special circumstances thereof,” said our other source who is a lawyer based in Sandton.

In 2019 ,Mzembi ducked deportation after allegations that the Masvingo strongman had faked illness and was assumed dead.

He was however caught on camera fit as a fiddle, compelling Home Affairs to consider his deportation before his strong South African political allies intervened and saved his skin.

Mzembi fled to South Africa after the 2017 military intervention at a time his criminal trial was still to reach conclusion.

He left in 2019 after putting his palatial Harare mansion on the market for a princely $2 million amid speculation that he wanted to fund his political career outside the warmth  of Zanu PF.

The engineer worked closely with former Zanu PF commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, former Higher Education minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and former Youth minister and the late former president Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao in a cash- rich faction called G40.

The faction was said to have been also backed by former First Lady Grace Mugabe who is believed to have had offshore accounts in Singapore at the material time and could afford to bankroll the nefarious activities that were put to an by the 2017 military intervention .

Stockholders warned Mugabe about the “criminals surrounding him”.

Efforts to get comments from the SA department of Home Affairs hit a snag at the time of writing but this publication has it on good authority that Mzembi’s scuttled US visa interview was due on December 5 and the address of service is 1282 Pretorius Street , Hatfield in Pretoria.