By Lindie Whizz | ZimLive |
HARARE – A soldier who works as a bodyguard for Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya has appeared in court accused of assaulting police officers who were sent to arrest the preacher at his Waterfalls prayer mountain last week.
Tapiwa Felix Chikondo, 34, appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice and, alternatively, assaulting or resisting a peace officer under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
He arrived in court handcuffed to Magaya, who made two court appearances charged with rape and fraud.
Chikondo, an active soldier in the Zimbabwe National Army, allegedly attacked Detective Assistant Inspector Munyaradzi Chifamba when police officers arrived at Magaya’s prayer mountain in Waterfalls on November 1 to execute a warrant of arrest against the preacher in connection with fraud and rape investigations.
A statement by Officer-in-Charge Washington Mashizha of the CID Commercial Crimes Division said Chikondo drove up to the officers in a sky-blue Nissan Dayz, blocked their vehicle and “furiously demanded to know why they were there.”
“He shouted that we had no permission to be where we were since the place was his,” Mashizha said in his report.
“He then charged towards Detective Assistant Inspector Chifamba and pushed him to the ground before we managed to restrain and handcuff him.”
The police claim Chikondo acted violently and had previously been mentioned in connection with other alleged assaults involving Magaya’s aides.
Defence lawyer Stephen Chikotora said Chikondo was being made a scapegoat in a wider investigation targeting Magaya.
“The accused was merely at the boom gate when detectives went to arrest Prophet Magaya,” Chikotora argued.
“He never interfered with the arrest and was not even aware of what was happening up the mountain. The state is trading on speculation. This is not a serious offence — even on conviction, the maximum sentence is one year.”
Chikotora said Chikondo’s cellphones were confiscated and he was denied access to his lawyers soon after arrest. He told the court that Chikondo owned a house in Harare, lived with his wife and children, and was a serving member of the army — all indicators, he argued, that he was not a flight risk.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, however, opposed bail, saying the accused had “a propensity to commit violent offences” and was likely to abscond.
“The accused has another pending case at Waterfalls Police Station involving defeating the course of justice,” Mutsokoti said.
“That record alone shows a pattern. Even if he surrenders his passport, it’s no guarantee he won’t leave by other means.”
Magistrate Gofa rolled over the matter to 8:30AM on Tuesday for a bail ruling.
