04/11/2025
Prophet Walter Magaya, the founder of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries in Zimbabwe, was recently arrested alongside his wife, Tendai Magaya, in what has become one of the most widely discussed cases in the country. The arrest took place on November 1, 2025, when police officers from the Criminal Investigations Department swooped in and took both into custody. The charges against them include multiple counts of fraud and, in Walter Magaya’s case, five counts of r**e. The couple appeared in the Harare Magistrates’ Court shortly after their arrest, where the state outlined the allegations and the ongoing investigations.
According to court documents and reports, the fraud charges stem from a business and investment scheme that ran between 2016 and 2018 through Magaya’s companies, Yadah Connect (Private) Limited and Planet Africa (Private) Limited. During this period, the couple allegedly convinced thousands of people, including church members and members of the public, to invest in various projects such as residential stands, mining, beekeeping, and farming ventures. They were told that the ministry had acquired land for development and that participants would receive houses or significant financial returns from these ventures. Many investors reportedly paid large amounts of money, some exceeding ten thousand U.S. dollars, but none of the promised houses or returns were delivered. The total losses are estimated to be in the millions, making it one of the most serious fraud allegations ever brought against a religious figure in Zimbabwe.
In addition to the fraud charges, Walter Magaya faces five separate counts of r**e. The complaints come from different women, some of whom were reportedly members of his church. The state alleges that Magaya used his spiritual authority to manipulate or coerce the victims into sexual acts, promising healing, deliverance, or spiritual advancement in return. These charges have revived long-standing suspicions and past accusations against the prophet, although many of the earlier ones did not result in formal prosecution.
When the Magayas appeared before Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa on November 3, 2025, their defense lawyer argued that they had been detained unlawfully, as they were held for more than the constitutionally allowed forty-eight hours before being brought to court. On November 4, the court made its ruling. Tendai Magaya was granted bail of five hundred U.S. dollars, with conditions including surrendering her passport and reporting regularly to the police. Walter Magaya, however, was denied bail because the offenses he faces—r**e and large-scale fraud are classified as serious “Third Schedule” crimes under Zimbabwean law. As a result, he was remanded in custody until November 13, 2025, pending further hearings.
Reports indicate that the police have since moved to secure and investigate properties belonging to Magaya’s companies, with some assets potentially being frozen until the case concludes. The prosecution is in the process of compiling witness statements and financial evidence from victims and investors. Meanwhile, the leadership of PHD Ministries has remained largely silent about the case, releasing no official statement to the public. However, outside the Harare Magistrates’ Court, several loyal followers gathered in prayer, calling for God’s intervention and the release of their prophet. Social media reactions have been divided some people defending Magaya as a man of God being persecuted, while others insist that justice must take its course and that accountability is necessary, even for religious leaders.
As of today, Walter Magaya remains behind bars while his wife Tendai is out on bail but still under investigation for fraud. The case has captured national attention, not only because of Magaya’s fame and influence but also because it raises deeper questions about the intersection of religion, money, and power in Zimbabwean society. For years, Magaya was celebrated as a healer, entrepreneur, and spiritual leader with a massive following across southern Africa. Now, his image stands at a crossroads, as the courts and the public await the outcome of a case that could determine both his personal fate and the future of one of the country’s most prominent ministries.