News / National
Mzembi defends church TV donations in Court
1 hr ago |
56 Views
Former Walter Mzembi mounted a vigorous defence in the Harare High Court on Tuesday, arguing that public-viewing screens he is accused of illegally donating to major churches were part of a government-sanctioned strategy to rebuild a ministry devastated by the 2008 political violence and the fallout from land reform, rather than personal favours.
Testifying before Justice Benjamin Chikowero after losing his bid for discharge at the close of the State's case, Mzembi said he inherited "a very damaged sectoral brand" when he assumed the ministry during Zimbabwe's post-election crisis. He recalled that the ministry had only five employees and had collapsed due to the political tensions of 2008 and the land reform programme of 2000, with arrivals at about 250,000 per year generating US$296 million in revenue. By the time he left in 2017, he testified, he had increased arrivals to 1.5 million and sector revenue to US$1 billion.
Led by his lawyers, Killian Mandiki and Emmanuel Samundombe, Mzembi repeatedly invoked senior political figures, including the late former president Robert Mugabe, the late former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and then vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, asserting that the fan-park screens were deployed with full government authority. "Mugabe gave me the power to donate the TVs… Even Tsvangirai gave a nod… Mnangagwa handed over the assets at Mbungo [Zion Church of Christ]," he said.
Mzembi told the court the screens were originally procured as part of Zimbabwe's preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with Cabinet mandating a multisector taskforce to set up fan parks aimed at using football to unite a politically divided nation. The operation involved multiple government entities, including the army, Air Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Transport, and provincial governors.
The former minister said the screens were later repurposed for religious tourism after the government recognised that large church gatherings drew huge crowds but generated little revenue. "Inside the religious sector there were twin evils, tax avoidance and tax evasion… We looked at the church and said tithe we won't touch, but commercial activities must be taxed," he explained.
Mzembi cited Prophet Walter Magaya's PHD Ministries as a major beneficiary, noting that overscreens were installed to accommodate the overflow at events expected to draw 500,000 people. He argued that all decisions were taken with Treasury approval and in deep consultation with the principals of the Government of National Unity, making it impossible for a minister to act unilaterally.
The hearing continues Wednesday, with Mzembi expected to call a witness.
Testifying before Justice Benjamin Chikowero after losing his bid for discharge at the close of the State's case, Mzembi said he inherited "a very damaged sectoral brand" when he assumed the ministry during Zimbabwe's post-election crisis. He recalled that the ministry had only five employees and had collapsed due to the political tensions of 2008 and the land reform programme of 2000, with arrivals at about 250,000 per year generating US$296 million in revenue. By the time he left in 2017, he testified, he had increased arrivals to 1.5 million and sector revenue to US$1 billion.
Led by his lawyers, Killian Mandiki and Emmanuel Samundombe, Mzembi repeatedly invoked senior political figures, including the late former president Robert Mugabe, the late former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and then vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, asserting that the fan-park screens were deployed with full government authority. "Mugabe gave me the power to donate the TVs… Even Tsvangirai gave a nod… Mnangagwa handed over the assets at Mbungo [Zion Church of Christ]," he said.
The former minister said the screens were later repurposed for religious tourism after the government recognised that large church gatherings drew huge crowds but generated little revenue. "Inside the religious sector there were twin evils, tax avoidance and tax evasion… We looked at the church and said tithe we won't touch, but commercial activities must be taxed," he explained.
Mzembi cited Prophet Walter Magaya's PHD Ministries as a major beneficiary, noting that overscreens were installed to accommodate the overflow at events expected to draw 500,000 people. He argued that all decisions were taken with Treasury approval and in deep consultation with the principals of the Government of National Unity, making it impossible for a minister to act unilaterally.
The hearing continues Wednesday, with Mzembi expected to call a witness.
Source - zimlive
Join the discussion
Loading comments…
