Zim GBC News | Crimes and Courts
HARARE – The rape trial of PHD Ministries leader Walter Magaya has taken a dramatic twist following the removal of a senior prosecutor from the case, after Magaya’s legal team alleged she is a member of rival prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s church and part of a clandestine plot to “destroy him.”
Harare Provincial Chief Director Tendai Shonhayi was noticeably absent from the prosecution bench during Wednesday’s court proceedings, with Catherine Munyeriwa taking over the case—an indication that the Prosecutor General’s office acceded to Magaya’s demand for her recusal .
The development comes after Magaya’s lawyers, Admire Rubaya and Everson Chatambudza, fired off a blistering letter to the Prosecutor General dated February 17, 2026, accusing Shonhayi of being a member of Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church (UFIC) and pursuing a personal vendetta against the PHD Ministries leader .
‘She Is Doing the Bidding for Her Own Papa’
In the letter, which was tendered in court, Magaya’s legal team did not hold back in their allegations against the senior prosecutor, painting a picture of a legal officer driven by religious loyalty rather than the pursuit of justice.
“Our client instructs, and has it on good authority, that Ms Tendayi Shonhayi is a member of a rival church known as United Family International Church (UFIC), which is considered by our client to be a rival to PHD Ministries, as well as to Magaya himself,” the lawyers stated .
The letter goes further, directly accusing Shonhayi of acting on instructions from her spiritual leader, arguing that her professional judgment has been compromised by her personal religious affiliations.
“It is our client’s considered view that Ms Tendayi Shonhayi is on a mission of her own to try and persecute him on the basis that she wants to destroy our client’s church for the benefit of UFIC, which is a competing rival church,” the legal team wrote.
“She is doing the bidding for her own ‘PAPA’ Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa in circumstances where she should be detached from the case” .
The sensational claim that Shonhayi is effectively Makandiwa’s operative inside the prosecution has thrown the legal proceedings into disarray, with the defence arguing that this conflict of interest renders a fair trial impossible if she remained involved .
‘A Mission to Destroy Our Client’s Church’
Magaya’s legal team didn’t stop at simply stating the alleged church connection. They provided what they claim is a pattern of biased and suspicious conduct by Shonhayi, suggesting she has manipulated procedures to achieve her goal of destroying the PHD Ministries leader .
The lawyers pointed to several instances of what they call partiality, claiming she was instrumental in pushing the matter to the Victim Friendly Unit even before a formal ruling—a move they argue was designed to prejudice their client . They also highlighted her alleged role in bail proceedings at the High Court, where they claim she sought the recusal of a judge on what they termed “flimsy reasons” .
“Our client is aware that Ms Shonhayi has requested the bail record with indications that she intends to appeal against the granting of bail by the High Court of Zimbabwe. She had previously raised flimsy reasons for the recusal of Justice Mandaza, who was originally seized with the bail matter,” the letter reads .
The most damning accusation concerns the handling of the charge sheet. According to the letter, Shonhayi allegedly attempted to serve Magaya with legal papers that did not include the names of the alleged victims—a contravention of Section 146 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act .
“She only had to serve Magaya’s defence counsel with new charge sheets, which now had names after they had taken her to task. She further had to write the witness names on the typed witness statements using a blue pen,” the lawyers stated .
The defence team further accused her of overstepping her role and effectively running the prosecution from behind the scenes.
They claimed she was constantly whispering instructions to the lead counsel, Clemence Chimbari, demonstrating that she was “the one in charge” despite not being the lead prosecutor .
“It is the client’s contention that Ms Shonhayi is not impartial in this matter as required by the law for a Prosecutor. She clearly has a personal agenda emanating from her personal hatred against both the Accused person and his church,” the letter concluded .
Religious Rivalry Takes Center Stage
The allegations have reignited a fierce, albeit often silent, rivalry between Magaya and Makandiwa that reportedly dates back to 2015 when Magaya narrowly beat his counterpart in a poll for the most influential young Zimbabwean .
The competition for congregants and influence between the two high-profile Pentecostal leaders has occasionally spilled into public view, with Magaya previously admitting to sending “spies” to monitor individuals involved in what he termed Makandiwa’s “fake prophecy” competitions .
By framing his legal troubles as a “proxy battle” driven by sectarian competition rather than a genuine pursuit of justice, Magaya has effectively dragged his rival into the courtroom drama .
Trial Continues Amid Legal Wrangling
Meanwhile, the trial remains bogged down in procedural challenges. Magaya’s legal team is currently pushing to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court, challenging a magistrate’s ruling that allows some witnesses to testify via video link from a private room .
The defence is contesting Magistrate Esthere Chivasa’s order to have the matter heard in camera, arguing that it violates Magaya’s right to a fair hearing. In his application for referral to the apex court, Magaya contends that the magistrate relied solely on the State’s say-so that witnesses were vulnerable without conducting independent interviews .
“There is a danger as to the real possibility that the honourable court’s independence, and expected impartiality, is now compromised,” Magaya stated in his application .
Magaya faces four counts of rape involving adult congregants from Harare and Chegutu, with allegations dating from 2016 to 2023. He denies the charges and insists he has the right to face his accusers in open court .
He is also scheduled to appear in court on March 2, 2026, on separate rape allegations involving two other women .
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has yet to issue an official comment on the explosive allegations regarding Shonhayi’s removal .
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