By Patience Gondo
PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance Church founder Walter Magaya has requested that prosecutor Tendayi Shonhayi recuses herself from prosecuting his rape case, citing conflict of interest.
In a letter dated February 17 2026, addressed to the Prosecutor General at the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, Magaya’s legal firm Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners formally applied for Shonhayi’s recusal from the case, referenced as CRB HRER 139/26.
The law firm was acting at the instance of Magaya.
“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 as a rival church,” they said .
The defence said their client believes the prosecutor’s alleged affiliation with United Family International Church could affect her ability to handle the case fairly, as Magaya leads PHD Ministries.
The law firm further said their client considers the prosecutor’s involvement in the matter to be a conflict of interest and requested she be removed from handling the trial.
The letter was received at the Prosecutor General’s office in Harare on February 17 2026 and marked urgent.
Shonhayi is a senior prosecutor responsible for handling serious criminal cases on behalf of the State.
Prosecutors represent the State and are required to act independently and fairly in criminal proceedings.
The case remains before the courts and it is now up to the Prosecutor General to determine whether the application for recusal will be granted or dismissed.