'Prophet Magaya must be arrested for bigamy'

Prophet Walter Magaya's alleged adultery case took a new twist on Tuesday, with the Harare man accusing him of bedding his wife filing criminal charges against the clergyman.

Denford Mutashu , who is suing Magaya for $500 000  at the High Court for allegedly bedding his wife, now wants the clergyman arrested for bigamy.

Norman Mugiya of Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers, representing Mutashu, confirmed that they had filed criminal charges against Magaya.

"I can confirm that there is a criminal report made with the police against Walter Magaya for bigamy, the police are handling the matter and we will hear from them after their investigations," said Mugiya.

According to Mugiya, Mutashu and his wife - Nomsa Ruvazhe - are legally married under chapter 5:11, a law which provides for a monogamous union, hence their laying criminal charges against the popular prophet, who commands one of fastest growing pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe.

Magaya leads Prophetic Healing and Delivering ministries, one of the emerging churches known for performing miracles.

Mugiya alleged that his client was now living in fear following the lodging of the civil adultery charges against Magaya as "some senior police officers from PHD are threatening him".

The lawyer said Mutashu was also receiving death threats from those who claiming to be acting on behalf of Magaya.

"My client has supplied the police with all the numbers that are being used to threaten him and the numbers are linked to PHD prayer lines," alleged Mugiya.

Attempts to get a comment from Magaya and his spokesperson or the police were fruitless as Oscar Pambuka, the churches mouthpiece had earlier on promised to provide a response before his phone went unreachable.

The police on the other hand were not picking up their phones.

Last week, Mutashu filed a High Court plea in which he claimed that Magaya bought his wife, Nomsa Ruvazhe, a vehicle as part of their secret unlawful relationship.

"The defendant (Magaya) bought the plaintiff's wife a recent import vehicle being a Toyota Mark II, the latest version which cost $10 000 which the plaintiff's wife is currently using. Magaya did not deny that, instead he met the plaintiff in one of the meetings to try and resolve the issue.

"The love affair between the two grew to the extent that Magaya would exchange love messages with the plaintiff's wife of more than 13 messages within 20 minutes and the plaintiff's wife would hide the messages and communication between herself and the defendant," read the affividavit.

The lawyers further alleged that Mutashu's wife described Magaya as ‘sexually attractive and highly mobile'.

"Magaya is a church leader of a popular church organization and it is sad that he chose to bed the plaintiff's wife whom she described as sexually attractive and highly mobile in one of her text messages.

Lawyers further alleged that Mutashu was still going through traumatic moments due to the ‘illegal' affair.

"The plaintiff is going through traumatic moments following the realization that his wife has been going out with the defendant who took advantage of his spiritual supremacy over the vulnerable plaintiff's wife who was also lured to the extent of staying for three days in Magaya's lodge without letting the plaintiff aware of where his wife was.

"The moral blameworthiness of Magaya is extremely high and the plaintiff was heartbroken to the extent that he failed to appreciate the value of life since those with power and money can always do what they want with other people's wives especially the poor in the mode of the plaintiff," said the lawyers.