Prophet Magaya seeks High Court bail in fresh rape allegations

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya has approached the High Court seeking bail in a case in which he is facing four counts of rape.

The matter was postponed to a later date when Magaya appeared before High Court Judge Justice Gibson Mandaza.

Magaya initially appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Court on January 26, where he was arrested again following the addition of further rape and fraud charges.

The new charges relate to alleged incidents said to have occurred between 2016 and 2023 and involve four different complainants. According to prosecutors, all the complainants were either congregants or employees linked to institutions associated with Magaya.

The State alleges that the first count stems from an incident in 2020 involving a 24-year-old woman, who claims she was invited to a hotel room under the pretext of a Bible study session before being locked inside and raped.

The second allegation involves a 22-year-old woman who claims she was instructed to stay at Yadah Hotel in 2023 for prayers intended to address alleged spiritual manifestations. Prosecutors allege that Magaya raped her in the hotel's Presidential Suite.

The third count dates back to 2016, with a 32-year-old complainant alleging that Magaya offered her employment in a housing project before taking her to a house in Borrowdale, where she was allegedly raped.

The fourth allegation involves a 21-year-old shop attendant who claims she was invited to a hotel as a reward for selling Magaya's books, before allegedly being locked in a room and raped.

Magaya denies the charges.

The trial is expected to commence on February 16, while the High Court is yet to rule on his bail application.