Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
Harare regional magistrate, Mr Francis Mapfumo, has dismissed an application by Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder, Prophet Walter Magaya, to refuse further postponement of his case or to be removed from remand.
The magistrate ruled that the application lacked merit. The ruling was delivered in the absence of both Magaya and his legal counsel.
Magaya is facing five counts of rape involving two complainants. The charges date back to 2013.
The trial, initially scheduled to begin on Monday, was delayed after the State cited a lack of preparedness.
Chief director of prosecution, Ms Tendai Shonhayi, requested a deferment, attributing the delay to unresolved logistical issues involving a key witness based in Ireland.
She explained that travel arrangements for the witness had not been finalised due to a funding miscommunication.
Magaya’s lawyer, Mr Admire Rubaya, had strongly opposed the postponement, accusing the State of incompetence and misleading the court.
He argued that the prosecution had failed to secure signed statements from critical witnesses, raising questions about their readiness to proceed with a case that has been pending for over a decade.
Rubaya further revealed that one of the complainants had submitted an affidavit in November 2025, indicating their intention to withdraw the charges against Magaya.
He contended that this development rendered the charges baseless and called for Magaya’s removal from remand, arguing that his client’s constitutional right to a fair and timely trial was being violated.
Despite Rubaya’s arguments, Mr Mapfumo dismissed the application, allowing the State to proceed with its preparations.
