Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
WHAT was expected to be a routine court appearance for Prophet Walter Magaya turned dramatic yesterday when he was arrested at court and detained in custody facing a flurry of fresh rape accusations.
Magaya was all smiles, wearing a business suit, when he arrived at the Harare Magistrates Court, in the company of his wife, yesterday morning.
There was no indication of the drama, which exploded after his court appearance, as he was arrested on fresh charges of rape. His lawyer said he was bundled into a minibus, which did not have any seats, and ordered to sit on the vehicle’s floor. By the time he returned to court, for the second time yesterday, he was now in handcuffs but he could even afford a chat with the journalists as he made his way into the courtroom.
However, this time there was no freedom for him as he was remanded in custody. In his latest brush with the law, the court heard that the complainant and her parents were congregants at Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries.
In June 2020, Magaya allegedly invited and offered the complainant a job to work as a ministerial voluntary worker at PHD call centre.
She accepted the invitation and went to stay at the church hotel.
Prosecutors alleged that on July 26, 2020, Magaya invited her to Villa 13, a hotel room, through a WhatsApp message to the usual Bible Study which used to be attended by most youths.
Upon arrival, she found Magaya in the room, with another female staff member of the Hotel, watching a movie.
Suddenly the female staff member went out of the hotel room and locked Magaya and the complainant inside the room. He allegedly grabbed her and raped her. The next day, the complainant allegedly called her stepfather and told him about the rape.
She reported the matter after she got information that Magaya had been arrested for similar offences.
The State, in the second count, claimed that the complainant is 22-years-old and went to Magaya’s church from 2014 to 2023.
Allegations are that in 2022, the complainant attended a church service at PHD Ministries in Chegutu.
One of the church elders phoned and advised Prophet Walter Magaya that she had manifested and he asked the complainant to proceed to PHD Ministries, Harare, for prayers.
The following day, the complainant and her mother then proceeded to PHD Ministries in Harare.
He prayed for the complainant told the complainant’s mother that her daughter had to stay at Yadah Hotel for the continuation of prayers to get rid of the manifestation of evil spirits.
The two returned home in Chegutu to prepare for the complainant to return for the prayers
In December 2022, the complainant returned for a three-day Youth Conference from Friday to Sunday at PHD Ministries, Waterfalls, Harare.
After the Youth Conference, Magaya allegedly instructed the complainant not to go back to Chegutu but to board a bus heading to Yadah Hotel.
During her stay, the complainant used to occupy the visitors room.
It is alleged that in 2023, Magaya invited the complainant to the Presidential Suite at the hotel.
The girl went to the suite and realised that she was alone with Magaya in the room, who allegedly then raped her, breaking her virginity.
The girl later told her mother and filed a police report after the prophet was arrested on similar charges.
Prosecutors told the court that the third complainant is 33 years-old and was a member of PHD ministries from 2016 to 2017.
The court heard that in July 2016, the complainant attended a church service and Magaya told her that she was holding on to something that she did not want to let go.
She failed to understand the prophesy and was referred to a counsellor.
The complainant revealed to the counsellor that she had been given fat from a sheep by a certain faith healer.
The counsellor told the complainant that Prophet Magaya was referring to that fat and was advised to bring the fat from the sheep during the following church service.
She brought the fat in question and Prophet Magaya allegedly ordered her to continuously visit the counsellor.
Prophet Magaya allegedly then ordered the complainant to resign from her job and offered her a job at his Housing Project. He requested her to meet him at Borrowdale Primary School the following morning so that he could show her his Housing Project where complainant will be employed.
When they met the following morning, Prophet Magaya allegedly drove the complainant to House number 15 Wadham Road, Borrowdale, Harare.
Upon arrival at this house, Prophet Magaya allegedly opened the door, invited complainant into the sitting room and made her to sit on the couch and gave her US$3,000 as her salary for the next ten months.
Prophet Magaya then asked the complainant to sit on his lap and she refused.
He went into the next room and called the complainant who went there and found him naked standing near the bed.
The complainant stood by the door and refused to enter into the room but Prophet Magaya allegedly dragged her into the room and raped her.
The fourth complainant is also a church member, aged 21.
Prophet Magaya was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni.
He was remanded in custody and was advised to approach the High Court for bail considerations.
He was remanded to February 16, for trial commencement. Trial has been set on a continuous roll from February 16 to 19. Through his lawyer Admire Rubaya, Magaya raised numerous complaints against the police and accused them of abusing their powers and using ‘drip justice’ where they have been arresting him willy-nilly.
“We have complaints against the police because accused has appeared in this court facing five counts of rape wherein he was remanded to today (yesterday) which was supposed to be his trial date.
“The State received communication from us asking for State papers and, instead of giving us the papers, the State and they ignored our communication
“We thought that we’d receive them yesterday and we came to court today but when we came today they told us that they don’t have witnesses, there’s no witness statements or medical report that has been taken from that complainant, who is based in Ireland.
“The second complainant in that case wrote to the Prosecutor General notifying them that she intends to withdraw the case.
“The State and the police officers connived to arrest him on these malicious charges despite him reporting to the police twice a week as ordered on his first bail order.
“They never asked him to visit their offices but after he was remanded to Tuesday, that’s when he was escorted into an omnibus with no seats and was asked to sit on the floor.
“It’s a sad day for justice, what is the intention of arresting a man who has been coming to court on numerous times, has paid bail and has surrendered his property?” Magistrate Mthombeni ordered the State to investigate the complaints raised.
