Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader, Walter Magaya believes he is being targeted by rival churches as he fends off fresh allegations that he had an extra-marital affair.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
According to State media reports, a woman identified as Angela Charakupa, who claims to be a former PHD employee, is demanding $500 000 from the popular evangelist for allegedly failing to honour his promise to marry her.
Charakupa claimed she had an adulterous affair with Magaya in 2014 but ended the relationship after he allegedly started ignoring her and dating other women.
However, Magaya’s spokesperson Admire Mango said the PHD leader had not received the letter as alleged and hinted he was preparing to go to court to clear his name.
“We are surprised to be reading that there was a letter delivered to us through social media and other newspapers. We don’t know if this is how such matters are handled,” Mango said.
“We have instructed our lawyers to take corrective measures against the people and the media houses that have claimed that we received the alleged letter so that we protect the image of the man of God and his office.
“We believe this could be an attempt to malign his [Magaya] image. If there was such a letter, it should have come to the prophet first before being circulated on social media and other media platforms.”
On Wednesday, Magaya told his followers during a mid-week service that leading a Pentecostal movement with a big following was not easy as it exposed him to attacks. He said some of his foes were from traditional churches.
“It’s not easy what we have achieved in this very short space of time as a ministry that we have been in existence,” he said.
“It is really amazing. Traditional churches will definitely fight us.
“The problem with people is that when they can’t do things we do, they will say it is fake. So whatever we do here, it is said to be fake. But we give glory and honour to God.”
The youthful preacher has been accused of using powers sourced from his Nigerian spiritual father TB Joshua whom he regularly visits.
But Magaya said he visits TB Joshua for mentorship and guidance on how to run a big church and not powers.
“There is nothing like powers, you get anointing from God. We know that some churches attack us without shame and evidence but we just watch and say glory to God,” he said.
Last year, Magaya was involved in a public spat with Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president, Bishop Johannes Ndanga who accused him of using black magic to lure people into his church.
This was after Magaya had published books claiming that apostolic sects used marine spirits as the source of their powers. Ndanga said the preacher was worse than traditional healers.
In 2014 Magaya was also accused by a Harare man Denford Matashu of destroying his marriage and the matter spilled into the courts.