From The Pulpit To The Dock, Magaya Faces Fresh Legal Battle

By Shingirai Vambe

HARARE — Prominent and often controversial Zimbabwean cleric, Prophet Walter Magaya, has once again found himself at the centre of legal and public scrutiny after being arrested on charges of rape and fraud, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed on Saturday.

In a brief statement, ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Magaya, the founder and leader of the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, was apprehended by a police crack team.

“ZRP confirms the arrest of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Church leader Walter Magaya in connection with several reports of rape and fraud. The suspect was arrested earlier today by a police crack team. More details will be released in due course,” said Nyathi.

The latest arrest adds to a long trail of allegations that have shadowed Magaya’s public ministry over the years. Since his rise to prominence in the early 2010s, the preacher, renowned for drawing tens of thousands to his healing services, has been no stranger to controversy. He has faced accusations ranging from sexual misconduct to misleading claims about miracle cures and business dealings gone wrong.

Despite the recurring allegations, none of the previous cases have resulted in conviction. Each time, charges were either dropped, withdrawn, or quietly faded from the courts, fuelling speculation about Magaya’s powerful political connections and the influence of money and power in Zimbabwe’s justice system.

Some critics argue that Magaya has benefited from protection by political elites, describing him as “untouchable.” Others, however, claim that the constant wave of allegations against him may be part of a broader pattern of character assassination often used against public figures who fall out of favour or become politically inconvenient.

In Zimbabwe, rape allegations remain one of the most serious and divisive issues within both religious and political circles. Many observers point to a troubling trend in which accusations are sometimes used as tools of manipulation, while others lament the reality that genuine victims rarely receive justice. Human rights advocates say that the intersection of faith, power, and gender in high-profile cases like Magaya’s exposes the weaknesses in Zimbabwe’s legal and moral systems.

Over the years, several men, some already serving time in prison, have publicly claimed to have been falsely convicted of sexual crimes, insisting they were victims of a justice system swayed by power and prejudice. The Magaya case, observers note, could either reinforce or challenge that perception, depending on how transparently the matter is handled.

Police have remained tight-lipped about the details of the allegations, saying only that investigations are ongoing. The Prophet, who commands a massive following through his PHD Ministries and various business ventures, has not yet issued a public statement.