'Ex-lover' sues Prophet Magaya for $500,000

A HARARE woman is suing Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya for $500,000 on the grounds that the man of the cloth had a sexual affair with her but reneged on his promise to marry her. The woman, Angela Charakupa, who is a member of PHD, claims Magaya used her and dumped her despite earlier promises to marry her and to buy her a flat and a car.

Charakupa is demanding $500,000 from Magaya for allegedly bedding and dumping her.

Apart from the damages, the woman is demanding an apology from Magaya for all he did to her. Failure to pay the damages claimed, Charakupa said, she will file a lawsuit at the High Court. The woman was once employed by PHD Ministries in the International Relations section but she said she left employment after being promised marriage.

Charakupa, through her lawyer Ashton Debwe of Debwe and Partners, on Thursday wrote a letter of demand to Magaya seeking damages for breach of the promise to marry.

She also fears for her life following discoveries that Magaya reportedly had multiple sexual partners.

In the letter, Charakupa said she joined PHD as a member in March 2014 and two weeks later she was employed by the church. She was involved in the marketing of the church brand based at the Waterfalls office in Harare.

Around September 2014, the woman claims she had an affair with the church leader who promised to marry her. "We're further instructed that thereafter, a love affair developed between yourself and our client. "We're further instructed that as a result thereof, and in September 2014, you then promised to marry our client, purchase a flat for her, a vehicle of her own choice and also give her some money that would greatly improve her social status," reads the letter.

The lawyers added that Magaya, during the relationship with the woman, would be intimate with her while pampering her with gifts and goodies. "We're also further told that during the existence of the engagement, you would give her some gifts and money and engage in sexual intercourse with her on the understanding that you would marry her," the letter reads.

The lawyers said they have full details of the sexual relationship. Charakupa said Magaya's attitude changed mid-last year and he drifted away from her. "However, in or about mid 2015, and to our client's dismay, you repudiated the said agreement by displaying conduct that clearly amounted to refusal to proceed with the promised marriage.

"We're informed that the said repudiation is wrongful. We're further instructed that the aforesaid breach was injurious to our client resulting in her leaving your ministry's employment in December 2015," the letter reads. The woman claims she has suffered contractual and delictual damages.

She claims to have suffered loss of financial benefits of the promised marriage. The woman says her personal dignity and reputation have been severely impaired. "We're aware that some of her former workmates and other members of the ministry were aware of the said relationship," the letter reads.

Charakupa said during her other duties as a counsellor in the church, she discovered that Magaya had other sexual affairs, putting her at a health risk. "We're further informed that our client was a counsellor in your ministry and as such would be consulted by many girls for counselling sessions where she learnt that you have multiple sexual partners.

"As a result thereof, our client is now extremely concerned about her health condition and has been advised by her close relatives to undergo some medical tests," the letter reads. Magaya is yet to respond to the claim.