HARARE – Prophetic Healing and Deliverance church founder Walter Magaya has accused the police of conducting “megaphone investigations” on social media, with his lawyers warning that law-enforcement agencies must stop “playing to the gallery” and bring the matter to court.
Magaya, his wife Tendai, and their companies Planet Africa and Yadah Connect face fraud charges, while the self-styled prophet seperately faces rape allegations.
On Tuesday, they appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa where the state sought a postponement to December 9, saying they were still recording outstanding statements.
Defence lawyer Admire Rubaya said they consented to the postponement only on condition that the state provides a trial date at their next appearance, warning that failure to do so will trigger an application for removal from remand.
“We confirm the state intimated they seek postponement. This asserts that they arrested the accused without investigating. They must investigate in a manner that is not prejudicial to the accused persons,” Rubaya told the court.
The lawyer said the police should emulate CID Homicide detectives “who investigate before they arrest,” accusing the police’s public relations department of issuing prejudicial public statements, including a recent allegation of a US$200,000 fund to bribe judicial officers.
He charged: “They issue statements in the media as if the court is being done on social media. The accused have been investigated since 2022 and postponing the matter now is prejudicial.
“The police allegedly said there is a fund of US$200,000 but instead of arresting, they tend to post statements on social media.”
The defence reiterated that Magaya and his wife are prepared to stand trial.
Said Rubaya: “The state should bring the accused to trial. They have been investigating the matter since 2022. The accused persons are ready and the state should investigate the matter in a manner which is not prejudicial to the accused persons.
“There is no need for megaphone investigations. They have been investigating this case and should not develop jelly legs. This matter should not just be a statistic that in 2025 there was a case involving Magaya.”
According to the prosecution, the Magayas allegedly misrepresented to congregants and homeseekers in 2016 that they had acquired land in Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, Fern Valley (Mutare), Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Arcturus, Ruwa, Manyame and Nyatsime for housing projects.
The couple allegedly distributed pamphlets with images of the purported land and advertised mining, farming and beekeeping projects they said would help members build homes.
The National Prosecuting Authority says various payments were made at PhD Ministries offices, with the couple signing memoranda of understanding claiming Planet Africa had been allocated land by the local government ministry, “knowing very well that there was no such land.”
To bolster confidence, the Magayas allegedly approached former central bank governor Gideon Gono in 2017 seeking a lease for New Donnington Farm and transported congregants there while misrepresenting that Magaya owned the property.
PhD Ministries allegedly received US$1,600 and R5,000, while Planet Africa received US$27,300. Yadah Connect allegedly received US$21,340, R190,000 and ZWD1,000, with nothing recovered.
The NPA assured the court it will provide a trial date at the next remand hearing.
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