In a dramatic pre-dawn raid that witnesses have likened to a Hollywood action scene, Prophet Walter Magaya founder of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries was arrested by a heavily armed police unit while praying at their mountain retreat. The operation reportedly involved more than 30 SWAT officers, with eyewitnesses claiming the scene was marked by shouting, flashing lights, and the use of physical force.
By Senior Reporter
According to sources close to the couple, several aides were assaulted during the raid, and one allegedly bit six officers while resisting arrest. Magaya, known for his massive following across southern Africa, was reportedly beaten and dragged from the prayer site before being taken into custody.
Magaya and his wife appeared in the Harare Magistrates’ Court on fraud charges jointly filed with their company, Planet Africa, represented by Tendai Chinguwa. Magaya also faces an additional rape charge, which was heard in-camera after the public and journalists were asked to leave.
They were remanded in custody until Tuesday as Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa reviews submissions from both sides. Their lawyer, Admire Rubaya, argued for their immediate release, claiming the couple’s constitutional rights were violated through unlawful over-detention and police misconduct.
“Magaya was arrested at 5 a.m. while praying for the nation,” Rubaya told the court. “He was surrounded by more than 30 armed officers. This is a man of God who cannot even harm a fly. His wife was only arrested because she is married to him.”
Rubaya said both were held beyond the legal 48-hour detention limit and were denied access to their lawyers for over six hours. “They were held incommunicado,” he said. “We went to CID Headquarters, where we were told they weren’t there. It was only after 11:30 a.m. on November 1, 2025, that we were granted access long after their rights had been violated.”
The state, represented by Clemence Chimbari, admitted that Magaya and his wife had indeed been over-detained but argued that their continued custody was still lawful. Rubaya countered, insisting the violation was fundamental: “You cannot put something on nothing — it will collapse. The state admits to over-detention yet still seeks to place them on remand. That’s unconstitutional.”
Chimbari, however, maintained that any violation of constitutional rights could be addressed through the Constitutional Court, suggesting that releasing the couple immediately would “overstep” judicial powers.
As the legal standoff continues, public debate is intensifying over the police’s heavy-handed tactics and the spectacle surrounding the arrest of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential religious figures. Magistrate Gofa is expected to deliver her ruling on the couple’s detention on Tuesday morning.
