Keypoints:
- Former minister says World Cup viewing screens were loans
- Defence links programme to religious tourism strategy
- Court to review written submissions before judgement
A FORMER Zimbabwe tourism minister has told the High Court that large public viewing screens distributed to churches were never donated but temporarily loaned as part of a government policy aimed at promoting religious tourism and boosting national revenue.
Walter Mzembi presented the argument during his defence in a trial centred on allegations that he improperly distributed government-owned Public Viewing Area (PVA) screens that had originally been acquired for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Proceedings experienced delays after the case was moved between several courtrooms before eventually starting at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday. When he arrived shortly before the hearing began, Mzembi briefly exchanged remarks with state prosecutors before taking the stand.
The case focuses on the distribution of 40 giant public viewing screens purchased ahead of the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. Prosecutors allege the equipment was improperly given to churches, while Mzembi told the court the move was authorised by Cabinet and formed part of a broader tourism strategy to attract international visitors through religious events.
Tourism recovery strategy
Mzembi told the court he was appointed Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry in February 2009 during Zimbabwe’s Government of National Unity.
At the time, he said the tourism sector had nearly collapsed following political instability around the 2008 elections and the effects of Zimbabwe’s land reform programme.
International arrivals had fallen to around 250,000 annually, generating roughly US$296m in tourism revenue.
Mzembi said the government tasked him with rebuilding the ministry, which he said initially consisted of only four officials.
By the time he left the portfolio in 2017 to become foreign minister, he told the court that tourist arrivals had increased to around 1.5 million per year while sector revenue had grown to approximately $1.5bn annually.
World Cup preparations
As part of the tourism recovery plan, Zimbabwe had initially expected to participate in hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside neighbouring South Africa as part of a regional bid.
However, after changes in leadership in South Africa, the tournament was ultimately hosted exclusively there.
Despite the shift, Zimbabwe had already created a special Cabinet committee chaired by Mzembi to prepare the country for tourism opportunities linked to the event.
The committee included 19 cabinet ministers and oversaw projects such as refurbishing key stadiums including the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium in Harare and Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe also hosted the COSAFA tournament as part of preparations to upgrade facilities to international standards.
Public viewing screens project
Mzembi said the Cabinet committee approved the purchase of 40 large public viewing screens so Zimbabweans could watch World Cup matches in public ‘fun parks’ across the country.
The equipment was sourced from China and funded through the Ministry of Finance. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces assisted with storing and installing the screens.
However, Mzembi told the court that most provincial authorities later declined to accept the screens due to the high cost of operating and maintaining them.
This forced the government to reconsider how the equipment could be used.
Religious tourism policy
According to Mzembi, officials later incorporated the screens into a broader strategy to promote religious tourism.
Delegations from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority studied international pilgrimage destinations including the Vatican, Mecca and major religious centres in Nigeria to assess how faith-based travel could increase tourism revenue.
Mzembi told the court the government concluded that Zimbabwe could attract large numbers of international visitors through major church gatherings.
Three churches led by Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, Prophet Walter Magaya and Bishop Samuel Mutendi were subsequently designated as religious tourism sites.
Large viewing screens were installed at those locations to help accommodate large congregations and visiting pilgrims.
‘Loans, not donations’
In court, Mzembi argued that the equipment had never been donated to the churches.
He said a donation would require a formal deed transferring ownership and triggering tax obligations for the recipient.
Instead, he said the screens remained listed in the Ministry of Tourism’s asset register, meaning ownership remained with the government.
‘They were loans,’ Mzembi told the court, adding that the government could reclaim the equipment at any time.
He also questioned why authorities had not retrieved the screens if they were considered evidence of wrongdoing.
Questions over prosecution
Mzembi criticised prosecutors for relying on testimony from junior church staff rather than calling church leaders themselves as witnesses.
He also said senior government officials involved in the programme, including permanent secretaries responsible for ministry administration, had not been called to testify.
The former minister further claimed that an investigator from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission had initially concluded there was no case against him before allegedly being instructed by superiors to detain him.
Trial nearing conclusion
Tuesday’s hearing marked the close of Mzembi’s defence.
Both prosecution and defence teams are now expected to submit written arguments to the court.
The High Court will reconvene on March 27, when the judge will review the submissions and either set a date for judgement or request additional oral arguments before delivering a final ruling.
