For years, self-appointed prophet Walter Magaya stood as one of Zimbabwe's most influential religious figures, his Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries drawing thousands to massive crusades while his Yadah brand expanded into hotels, television, and real estate.
Today, that empire lies in ruins as the self-styled prophet faces a basket of criminal charges, multimillion-dollar court judgments, and the humiliating prospect of watching his properties sold at public auction.
On February 21, 2026, Justice Maxwell Takuva of the High Court delivered a ruling ordering him to repay US$3 million to Israeli businessman Ronny Aharon Musan Levi, with interest at 3% per month compounded from July 2022.
The ruling stemmed from a May 2022 memorandum of agreement under which Levi invested in a proposed mining project.
Magaya had pledged to register a first-ranking mortgage over his Yadah Hotel properties as security but never did so, nor did he repay any portion of the loan .
Magaya's legal team, led by Garikai Sithole, argued the agreement violated exchange control regulations and proposed repayment in local currency rather than US dollars.
Takuva rejected this defence, warning that allowing Magaya to keep the money would turn the law into "an engine of fraud."
"The defendant's conduct in this matter stands in stark and troubling contrast to the very scriptures he professes to hold as a man of God, pastor, and leader of a Christian ministry,” the judge ruled.
- Herentals, Yadah FC share spoils
- More misery for CAPS United
- 538 guns surrendered as amnesty ends
- Mapeza to play rookies in Yadah tie
Keep Reading
Days after that judgment, real estate firm Graham and Douglas announced a public auction scheduled for February 17, 2026 at Raylton Sports Club in Harare.
Among the properties listed is Stand 166 Smuts Road in Prospect, a 3.2-hectare property featuring a six-bedroom house, lounge, and dining room, registered under Planet Africa (Private) Limited, where Magaya and his wife Tendai serve as directors.
Also listed is an 8.7-hectare property at No. 6 Caledon Avenue in Prospect.
The auction followed a lengthy dispute with GetBucks Microfinance Bank over a debt of US$420,140.72.
Court documents reveal that GetBucks accused Magaya of frustrating recovery efforts, claiming he declared he had no assets available for seizure while using entities including PHD Ministries and The Walter Magaya Family Trust to block enforcement of court orders.
In June 2025, Magaya temporarily halted liquidation by paying US$180,000 toward the debt, but the latest auction notice suggests that the settlement agreement collapsed .
Beyond his financial troubles, Magaya faces four counts of rape involving adult congregants, with allegations spanning from 2016 to 2023.
He was arrested in November last in a dramatic early morning operation at his prayer mountain, with over 30 police officers in attendance.
According to court documents, one complainant allegedly sought prayers from Magaya in 2013 while ill.
After her recovery, Magaya allegedly began making sexual advances, sending frequent messages and making unfulfilled promises including an offer to send her abroad for education.
On the first alleged rape count, the complainant reportedly found Magaya naked at a hotel before being sexually assaulted.
Another complainant, aged 32 in 2018, was allegedly told by Magaya he would take her to South Africa to purchase machinery and raw materials for a business venture.
The trip reportedly turned into sexual abuse, with Magaya allegedly assaulting her with the assistance of his bodyguards.
In a recent court case surrounding the rape charges, Magaya's legal team sought the recusal of prosecutor Tendayi Shonhayi, alleging she is affiliated with rival preacher Emmanuel Makandiwa's United Family International Church and therefore biased.
Magaya and his wife Tendai also face fraud charges related to a multimillion-dollar church housing project that allegedly never materialised.
The state alleged that in 2016, the Magayas, through their companies Planet Africa and Yadah Connect, misrepresented to congregants and homeseekers that they had acquired land for housing development in multiple locations including Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, and Bulawayo.
During a church service broadcast live on Yadah Television, Magaya allegedly announced that God had instructed him to assist members build houses, directing interested parties to purchase stands from Planet Africa.
In 2017 the Magayas approached former central bank governor Gideon Gono for a one-year farming contract at New Donnington Farm.
Magaya then transported congregants to the farm, misrepresenting himself as the owner when the land actually belonged to Gono.
The scheme received US$1,600 and R5,000 through PHD Ministries, while Planet Africa received US$27 300.
Yadah Connect received US$21 340, R190 000 and ZWD1 000, with nothing recovered .
Just last week, law enforcement officers raided Yadah Hotel in Waterfalls and recovered large quantities of unregistered and unapproved complementary medicines.
The hotel, represented by director Donald Makuvaza, appeared before Harare magistrate Lisa Mutendereki and pleaded guilty to possessing unregistered medicines.
The matter has been remanded to March 10 for plea recording.
According to reports, detectives acting on a tip-off discovered significant quantities of various medicines including antibiotics, antifungal treatments, injections, and topical creams.
Magaya's controversial history extends back to 2018, when he publicly claimed to have discovered a cure for HIV and cancer.
“The herb is 100% organic. Why I say so is because we found out that there are no side effects," he was quoted as saying.
The government branded his claim as criminal, and police raided his offices.
The statement also drew condemnation from health authorities and the United Nations, forcing him to apologise and retract following intervention from the Ministry of Health
He was subsequently convicted of fraud and fined US$700 for contravening the Medicines Control Act.
The charge sheet said that just before the search, Magaya and others “destroyed some of the exhibits by flushing them in the office toilets and burning containers which were, however, recovered half-burnt”.
In 2017, he grabbed headlines after he was captured carrying two black satchels of prayers to the Holy Land in Israel to allegedly intercede for Zimbabwe.
Magaya had told his unsuspecting followers that they should write prayer requests on pieces of paper so he could take them to Israel, presumably to meet with God and hand him these human needs on paper.
“Magaya is in complete violation of the apostolic mode of operation,” one church pastor said.
“That is how we know that he is not from God for he is deceitful, greedy and ruthless by robbing, swindling and stealing from the unsuspecting and desperate people.”
Another critic noted: “What we are witnessing is a disturbing trend where religion is reduced to performances and objects.”
Magaya is among a group of flashy religious figures who have emerged in years attracting a huge number of followers with promises of miracle healing and miracle money.
With properties facing auction, criminal trials pending, and a High Court judge publicly questioning his conduct as a “man of God”, Magaya's fall from grace appears complete.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 2 in relation to separate rape allegations involving two other complainants.
