The Sunday Mail
Brian Chitemba Investigations Editor
Prophetic Healing Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Prophet Walter Magaya has dimissed adultery allegations levelled against him as “lies”.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail at his offices on Friday, Prophet Magaya also spoke about “anointing oil” and his relationship with United Family International Church and Spirit Embassy leaders, prophets Emmanuel Makandiwa and Uebert Angel. He went on to describe adult entertainer and former PHD member Beverly Sibanda as “a child”.
Prophet Magaya said the US$500 000 adultery suit by Mr Denford Mutashu was meant to tarnish his image.
“I will shame the devil over this adultery case. Wait until that time when I will expose them.” He said the case had not affected his congregation, saying: “Zimbabweans are a civilised lot; they are learned, they know that these are lies.
“How can you have people lying in such a simple way and expect to get away with it? “It’s clear that the whole point is to tarnish my image but the devil’s plots will be exposed.
“The case has made the church grow because he who has the ball in a soccer match is always the one who is marked. Let’s look at what happened in Bulawayo where thousands came to witness instant miracles.”
Prophet Magaya said PHD guest houses were open to worshippers and those seeking divine solutions to their problems, including non-church members.
“The guest houses are meant for our local and international visitors who like spending time in the presence of the Lord and waiting for our services on Sundays and Wednesday,” he said.
“There is nothing amiss about the guest houses; they are dotted around Harare and open to everyone.”
Allegations are that he had adulterous relations with Mr Mutashu’s wife, Nomusa Ruvazhe, at one of the guest houses.
Prophet Magaya did not rule out the possibility of a smear campaign by some church leaders whom he said might be unnerved by PHD’s growth, which had 500 members in August 2013 but now draws 50 000-60 000 people every Sunday.
He said his work “cannot be stopped by humans”.
On rumours that UFIC and Spirit Embassy were behind the alleged smear campaign, Prophet Magaya said he had no beef with prophets Makandiwa and Angel.
Portraits of the two, as well as of Nigeria’s Prophet TB Joshua, are in his offices.
“I respect prophets Makandiwa and Angel because they fought a brave fight to have prophets accepted in this country. We enjoy cordial relations; there is no bad blood between us,” he said.
Prophet Magaya, who has a Catholic background, added that the “anointing oil” phenomenon was not new as he started using it in a cup when his church had only 45 members in 2011, before he introduced a white bottle, which was succeeded by a blue one and then the current red bottle — which he said had power to raise the dead, heal the sick and “solve any situation”.
Prophet Magaya said he would not mind being the wealthiest religious leader in Zimbabwe “because acquiring riches is not a sin, according to the Bible”. He, however, said he put the less-privileged and elderly first.
Asked to reveal his worth, Prophet Magaya said: “I am worth so much to the extent of moving around wearing sandals.”
This was in apparent reference to his appearance at the recent wedding of musician Alick Macheso’s daughter, Sharon, wearing sandals and a hoodie.
He said his “simple dressing” sought to demystify the notion that pastors and prophets should always be clad in shiny suits.
“I did it intentionally; I wanted to show people that God’s presence is not defined by dressing. Many people believe in dressing instead of focusing on the Word of God. This was to show that God can use anything and anyone.
“If I were to give you those sandals you would not be able to walk in them because of the anointing,” said Prophet Magaya, who was wearing a pair of brown sandals during the interview.
Responding to claims by raunchy dancer Beverly Sibanda that he wanted her back at his church, he said:
“Let her explode . . . she is a child and will remain a child whom I don’t have any grudges against. I love her as my child and I respect her. But time will describe her.”
