The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe has dismissed allegations of prosecutorial impropriety levelled against its Chief Director of Public Prosecutions, Tendayi Shonhayi, in the case involving church leader Walter Magaya.
In a statement, NPAZ said it received correspondence from Magaya’s lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, seeking Shonhayi’s recusal from the prosecutorial team handling the matter.
The application was based on claims of an alleged rivalry between Magaya’s church and another unnamed religious institution.
However, following an internal assessment, the Prosecutor-General ruled that the allegations were unsubstantiated.
“The allegations are without substance and were made without any cogent evidence of any prosecutorial impropriety,” NPAZ said.
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The Prosecutor-General further emphasised the constitutional independence of the prosecuting authority and its officers, citing provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the National Prosecuting Authority Act.
“Decisions relating to the conduct of prosecutions are made strictly in accordance with the law, the evidence available, and the public interest,” the statement read.
As a result, the Prosecutor-General determined that there was no rational or lawful basis for Shonhayi’s recusal from the case.
Magaya, who leads Prophetic Healing and Deliverance, is facing multiple rape charges linked to alleged incidents in Harare and Chegutu between 2016 and 2023.
He is expected to return to court on March 2, 2026, in connection with separate allegations involving two other complainants.
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