Tendai Magaya, wife of Prophet Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder Walter Magaya, has been granted bail by a Harare court following her recent arrest. Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa released Tendai Magaya on US$500 bail, ruling that she was a suitable candidate and posed no risk of absconding. The court noted that Magaya has a fixed address and has shown no intention to flee its jurisdiction, despite facing a serious fraud charge.

As part of her bail conditions, Magaya has been ordered not to interfere with witnesses, report to ZRP Waterfalls once every two weeks, continue residing at her current address, and surrender her passport. She is being represented by lawyer Admire Rubaya and has been remanded to November 18, the same date as her husband, Walter Magaya.

Tendai Magaya is jointly charged with her husband, Walter Magaya, and their company Planet Africa, represented by Tendai Chinguwa. The trio is accused of defrauding members of the public and congregants of PHD Ministries through a bogus housing and investment scheme. According to the State, the alleged scam saw the ministry and its associated companies receiving over US$50,000, R195,000, and ZW$1,000 from victims, none of which has been recovered.

In her ruling, Magistrate Gofa stated that the State had failed to present compelling reasons to justify keeping Magaya in custody. Gofa emphasized that although Tendai Magaya faces a serious charge, this alone could not justify denying her bail. The magistrate noted that if investigations began in 2023, Magaya has been aware and could have fled to other countries but did not, making denying her bail a 'travesty of justice' that 'defies common sense.' Any fears raised by the State, Gofa concluded, could be adequately addressed through the imposed bail conditions, describing her as 'a good candidate for bail.'

Prosecutors allege that around 2016, the accused misrepresented that they had acquired land in several areas across the country, including Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, Mutare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Arcturus, Ruwa, Manyame, and Nyatsime. These lands were purportedly for housing, farming, bee-keeping, and mining projects intended to benefit church members and the public. During a church service, also broadcast live on Yadah Television, it is alleged they announced that "God had instructed them to help members acquire residential stands and houses," claiming the projects would be managed through Planet Africa and Yadah Connect.

To entice followers, pamphlets featuring Bible verses and images of the purported land and houses were distributed. Congregants were allegedly invited to buy stands and invest in various ventures, including mining and farming projects, with promises of a 50% return after six months. Many members reportedly paid thousands of dollars to the companies and signed memoranda of understanding that falsely indicated the firms had been allocated land by the Ministry of Local Government.

In 2017, following initial complaints, the accused allegedly sought to restore confidence by entering into a one-season farming contract with former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr Gideon Gono at New Donnington Farm in Norton. They reportedly took congregants to the property, falsely claiming ownership and that it was ready for stand allocations, despite the farm belonging to Dr Gono and not being for sale.

In a related matter, Magaya's bodyguard, Tapiwa Felix Chikondo, who is accused of assaulting police officers during the preacher's arrest, was also granted bail set at US$300. He is represented by lawyers Stephen Chikotora and Malvern Mapako.