Magaya adultery case: Woman speaks
By Tendai Kamhungira
HARARE – Prophet Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya’s adultery charges have taken a new twist after the woman alleged to be having an illicit affair with the celebrity preacher dispelled the claims.
This comes after Denford Mutashu filed a lawsuit against the popular prophet, demanding $500 000 in adultery damages from Magaya for allegedly having an affair with his wife, Memory Nomsa Ruvazhe.
Mutashu has also filed criminal charges against the prophet, accusing him of bigamy and making death threats against him.
But in a July 30 affidavit seen by the Daily News, Ruvazhe strenuously denies having an affair with Magaya.
She claims that she began having problems with her husband after she visited Magaya’s guest house in Marlborough, where she stayed for three days seeking spiritual guidance and divine healing.
Mutashu claims Ruvazhe was cohabiting with Magaya for the three days and the prophet was having an inappropriate sexual liaison with his wife.
“When I returned from the guest house, I started having problems with my husband with him accusing me of being in love with the prophet,” Ruvazhe said in the affidavit.
She said she tried to explain to her husband the nature of her visit to Magaya but Mutashu refused to buy the explanation.
Mutashu is said to have persisted with his claims. He has since filed a High Court application through his lawyers Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers, in which he is demanding
$500 000 in adultery damages.
He lodged a court application after claiming his earlier letters of demand were ignored by Magaya.
According to Mutashu, the alleged adulterous affair had seriously affected his personal health to the extent that he had to take bed rest due to excessive stress caused by loss of affection. But his wife insists the adultery claims are false.
“I wish to place it on record that I have never been in a relationship with Prophet Walter Magaya nor am I in any form of relationship with the prophet,” the wife said in the affidavit.
“However, of late my husband seems to have devised a plan to extort money from Prophet Magaya based on his false allegations.”
The woman said her husband had indicated to her that she should publicly confirm that she was having an affair with Magaya.
“He indicated that by so doing, he would be in a position to claim adultery damages from the prophet,” Ruvazhe said.
“He also indicated to me that considering the popularity and reputation of Prophet Magaya, he would then pay us a lot of money.”
She said in the affidavit she refused to go along her husband’s devious plan, which she branded an “evil scheme.” She said she did not want to destroy Magaya or his ministry by peddling malicious lies.
“I have resisted all efforts by my husband to falsely accuse Prophet Magaya to be in an adulterous affair with myself,” Ruvazhe said.
However, Mutashu’s lawyer Norman Mugiya insisted on his client’s claim and confirmed that criminal charges had also been filed against the modest-but-hugely-popular prophet.
Mugiya claims his client is traumatised after allegedly receiving death threats from senior police officers, who are linked to Magaya’s PHD Ministries Church.
“I can confirm that there is a criminal report made with the police against Walter Magaya for bigamy and the police are handling the matter,” Mugiya told the Daily News yesterday.
“However, my client is worried that he is being victimised by some senior police officers, who are members of the accused’s organisation.
“We have some of the names of the police officers who are now acting as the accused’s agents to victimise my client so that he is shut out.”
In their High Court application, the lawyers claim to be in possession of love text messages and a printout of a mobile phone communication between Magaya and Ruvazhe. Daily News
