…jointly charged with wife for 13 counts of fraud
…PHD not registered
Prophet Walter Magaya is allegedly facing five counts of rape and jointly charged with his wife, Tenda, on 13 counts of fraud.
According to the court documents, Magaya’s church, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD), is not registered and therefore has no legal persona.
He is also the Director of Yadah Connect Private Limited and Plannet Africa Private, which are duly registered companies in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe.
His wife, Tendai, 41 also the Director of Yadah Connect Private Limited and Plannet Africa Private.
Allegations are that sometime during the year 2016, Magaya, acting in connivance with his wife and company, hatched a plan to defraud PHD ministries Congregants and other members of the public.
It is alleged that they misrepresented that they had acquired land in Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, Fern Valley Mutare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Arcturus, Ruwa, Manyame, and Nyatsime for building houses for church members and the general public, for farming, for beekeeping, and for Mining projects.
Pursuant to this misrepresentation, in 2016, Walter, who is the founder of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries at number 1 Sherwood Crescent, Corner Simon Mazorodze, 10A Sherwood Crescent, Waterfalls, Harare, held a church service at PHD Ministries.
He preached during a Church Service to the church congregants, including the complainants 1-12, and was broadcast live on the Church television screens and Yadah Television channel, which was accessed by other members of the public who were not members of PHD Ministries. Complainant 13 was watching Yadah television whilst she was at home in Harare.
The prophet misrepresented that he had land available for stands for sale.
During his preaching, Walter announced that God had instructed him that the purpose of giving him land was to assist members of the church and others to build houses.
He further announced that the project of building houses was to be administered by his company.
He stated that members who were interested were supposed to purchase the stands from the company paying monthly contributions towards the purchase.
The company was to build houses for the stands purchased.
In his misrepresentation, the accused persons produced and distributed a pamphlet with the pictures of the land purported to have been acquired for the stands by the accused persons and the houses which they said they intended to build for the congregants and the general public. Genesis 13 v 9, which says “A vast land is out there and available to you, “was inscribed on the cover of the pamphlet.
The accused further misrepresented by advertising mining, farming and bee-keeping projects, which they said would assist members in building the houses and encouraged them to invest in these projects which accused one alleged would be run by accused (4), assuring them that they would get 50% interest after six months for the mining, farming, and bee-keeping projects.
As a result of the misrepresentation, the complainants believed accused (1) and developed some interest in the aforementioned projects.
During that same year 2016, the complainants number 1-12 listed in column A of the schedule to the annexure made some payments at the church offices as indicated on column B-D of the schedule totaling the amounts stated on column E.
The money for the stands was paid to accused (3), and for other projects was paid to accused (4).
The accused further signed memoranda of understanding with the complainants, where on the preamble, they misrepresented to the complainants that the company had been allocated land by the Ministry of Local Government and public works, knowing very well that there was no such land that had been allocated to the company.
To keep the defrauded complainants with hope, In 2017, Walter and his wife, Tendai, acting in connivance, approached Dr Gideon Gono seeking for a farming contract at New Donnington Farms belonging to Dr Gideon Gono, and Dr Gideon Gono agreed to provide them with land for farming for one season only.
Tendai was in the forefront negotiating with Dr Gono for a farming contract.
Magaya well knowing that he had not acquired any land New Donnington Farms and taking advantage of the farming contract entered into with DR Gono, gathered church congregants who had paid for the stands including the complainants and ferried them to the New Donnington Farms in Norton and at misrepresented that he was the owner of the farm and the farm was ready for allocation of residential stands knowing very well that the farm belonged to Dr Gideon Gono.
When the announcement was made, accused (2) was present and did not disclose to those who were being shown the land that the land belonged to Dr Gideon Gono, as she was part of the team that negotiated for the farming contract.
The complainants later picked up information that the farm they were shown belongs to Dr Gideon Gono and was not on sale.
They then made a report to the Police.
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries received US$1,600.00, R5 000-00, Planet Africa Private Limited received a total of US$27 300-00, Yadah Connect received US$21 340-00, ZAR190 000-00 ZWD 1 000, and nothing was recovered.
