Prophet Walter Magaya, leader of Prophetic Healing Deliverance Ministries (PHD), is scheduled to appear at Harare Magistrates Court, this Monday, as his trial on rape charges formally commences.
Court documents indicate that the allegations against Magaya date back to 2013, when he reportedly met one of the complainants for a prayer session. The prosecution alleges that the religious leader made sexual advances and subsequently committed rape at a local Harare hotel. It is further alleged that the assaults occurred on two additional occasions involving the same complainant.
Magaya also faces allegations of sexual violence in 2018 involving another woman in South Africa. According to the documents, the complainant was taken to South Africa under the pretext of purchasing machinery and raw materials.
The prosecution claims that Magaya, with the assistance of his aides, subjected the complainant to sexual assault during this trip and again in October 2018 after inviting her to his Marlborough offices in Harare for a business meeting.
Court records further indicate that the complainant made earlier attempts to report the alleged incidents at Waterfalls and Harare Central police stations, in 2018. However, the matter was reportedly not taken forward at the time due to his alleged influence.
Magaya has denied the allegations and is expected to enter his plea when proceedings get underway. The court is set to hear testimonies from witnesses as the trial unfolds.
