Politicians after me, says Prophet Magaya

PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader, Walter Magaya, told his followers during a Friday church service, shortly before his arrest, that some top politicians and government officials were plotting to silence him through trumped up charges.

Soon after the service held at the church headquarters in Waterfalls, Harare, Magaya was picked up by police officers from the Law and Order section and charged for allegedly raping a 25-year-old married woman in July last year.

He was only released the following day on $2 000 bail coupled with stringent reporting conditions.

Magaya said his detractors were not amused by his ambitious housing projects and property acquisitions, hence, the plot to blackmail him.

He made the remarks shortly after he unveiled a housing project in Bulawayo, where he plans to build 5 000 housing units for church members, which he said would go a long way in reducing the country's housing backlog.

The youthful and charismatic church leader is also constructing a soccer stadium and hotel in the city.

"So today, I want to inform you this, that after the unveiling of Bulawayo, after I spoke about stands, after I built the hotel, they are very big senior people in government, who are upset with me and they want me arrested," he told his congregants.

But, Magaya told congregants that he has about 16 audio recordings of conversations of people, who had approached three of his female congregants offering them cash in exchange for framing the rape charges against him.

Two of the three girls, he claimed, had allegedly testified during a church service, confirming the plot, saying they had been offered $100 000.

Magaya is accused of taking his victim to his Mt Pleasant home, where after showing her the house, left her inside, only to come back stark undressed and forcing himself on her and later offered $200 to buy her silence .

The complainant alleges he did not use protection.

As part of his bail conditions, Magaya was ordered to report three times a week at the Law and Order section and was also ordered to surrender his passport to the clerk of court's office. He is expected back in court on September 15.

He was represented by Everson Chatambudza and Oliver Marwa.