Extorters swarming Prophet Magaya

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya says he is always on the war-path with extorters who want to have part of his wealth.

He told journalists after officially handing over more than 5 000 housing stands to desperate home-seekers from his congregation — through his multi-million dollar company, Planet Africa — during a ground-breaking ceremony in Douglasdale.

"I am fighting endless battles with extorters on a daily basis and the majority of them are those people who have interacted with me before I launched the ministry," Magaya said.

"They think they are justified to benefit a thing or two from me because we used to interact before," he said.

"These are the same people, who are peddling falsehoods in the media about the organisation, but I am glad that despite all those false allegations levelled against me, my partners stood by me."

"As a result, the project is meant to benefit PHD Ministries' partners, a way of returning the favour and love to church members for their faith and loyalty to the church," he said.

The project at Douglasdale residential area is expected to be complete in the next five months or so.

However, Magaya said the massive housing project is not confined to Bulawayo alone, but will be taken to other parts of the country as well as countries in southern Africa.

"The houses to be built are not common, we are trying to build tourist attraction features. It will be gated communities across the continent.

"I will discount beneficiaries, 60 percent will be removed on all 46

000 houses to be established by the project in the country," he said.

On behalf of Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, Tabitha Kanengoni-Malinga praised Magaya for taking an initiative that he said will go a long way in alleviating the accommodation crisis in Bulawayo.

About 110 000 people are on the city's housing waiting list.