Attacks underline Magaya’s influence

By Guthrie Munyuki

Founder and leader of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries — Walter Magaya — has the spiritual world eating from his palm.

The young “prophet” has underlined his importance to the spiritually malnourished thousands of Zimbabweans who have found his makeshift church in Waterfalls, a sanctuary.

To them, the PHD leader is like an aquifer giving relief to their “troubled” souls.

Tourism minister, Walter Mzembi, last week endorsed Magaya as he released figures of congregants who attended his big Sunday service.

“In order to encourage religious tourism, church-inspired and faith-based business can now ride on the back of these two statutory instruments in order to grow their faith based business opportunities and here I cite conventional centres, restaurants, transport business because the church itself has become a market,” he said.

“Just two weeks ago, we witnessed 180 000 parishioners along the Masvingo highway near Waterfalls where Pastor Magaya was ministering,” Mzembi said.

“If you have 180 000 congregants; if each one of them buys a bottle of mineral water at $1, that’s already $180 000 in circulation on one single product line called water,” Mzembi told Parliament last week as he revealed incentives to local hotels and restaurants whose services support local churches.

Of course, Mzembi has been instrumental in coming up with religious tourism policy.

And when he speaks on matters that pertain to his ministry there are abound to be intent listeners.

While Mzembi has endorsed Magaya, there are many who appear to unsettle and attack the PHD leader.

It is a fact that Magaya recorded the highest number of congregants in a single gathering — 180 000.

But it appears Magaya’s popularity is now creating problems for PHD.

Last week, some legislators expressed “dismay” at the “disruption” caused by PHD congregants at the end of their Sunday services.

It was really strange that they would pick on Magaya without raising the same concerns on the “disruptions” every Sunday at the National Sports Stadium which is used as the home ground by both Dynamos and CAPS United.

The same legislators do not raise objections to the thousands of people who attend other churches services around the country.

When an attack lacks objectivity, as was the one on Magaya and his followers, it easily passes off as shameless.

Local government minister Ignatious Chombo has promised that robots would be installed at Zindoga Shopping Centre to complement traffic police officers who control traffic during PHD services.

But perhaps the biggest attack on Magaya came via reports that he was facing murder charges following the death of a child during his big Sunday service.

How does someone deliberately take away one’s life when the same life is presented before you to save it?

The fact that someone dies while waiting for their turn for prayer does not make a pastor liable for that death.

And similarly, if a patient dies while in the queue to see a doctor that does not make that doctor a murder suspect.

So to say Magaya faces a murder charge because a child died in his church compound while waiting to receive healing, is not only wrong but smacks of a sinister agenda.

It is even strange when police do not even suggest they are investigating murder save to say they are investigating the circumstances.

This is quite normal police business; whether one dies at home, work or anywhere.

The reason would be to establish the cause of death.

Maybe for neutrals, attacks on Magaya serve to underline his influence and importance to the spiritually-malnourished! Daily News