By A Corresponde,James Gwati

Copyright zimeye

By A Correspondent – Controversial preacher Prophet Walter Magaya, founder of the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, has lost control of his multimillion-dollar hotel and stadium complex in Harare after the High Court issued a writ of execution.

According to court records (Case Number SH3294/25), Chinese national Li Xiu Yun successfully obtained the order for the sale in execution of Magaya’s rights and title to Stand 168 of Prospect, a 3.84-hectare property situated along Smuts Road in Waterfalls, Harare.

The property, once touted as a flagship investment by Magaya’s ministry, houses a four-star-standard hotel, several cluster houses and lodges, and a modern football stadium. The facilities turned the Prospect area into a hub of activity, hosting football matches, church events, and attracting local and international visitors.

The impending auction marks one of the biggest financial and legal blows to Magaya’s empire, which has grown over the past decade through a combination of religious influence, business ventures, and real estate acquisitions.

Magaya’s Property Ventures

Since founding PHD Ministries in 2012, Magaya aggressively expanded into property and hospitality. His hotel in Waterfalls was marketed as a premium accommodation centre, catering not only to church pilgrims but also to business travellers and sports tourists.

The stadium—one of the largest privately built sports facilities in Harare—was particularly significant. It became a venue for football and community events, often doubling as a stage for his mega-church gatherings that drew tens of thousands of congregants.

Magaya also invested in residential estates, commercial centres, and health facilities, framing his ventures as part of a broader vision to “empower communities” through employment creation and infrastructure development.

However, many of these projects were marred by controversy. Some collapsed midway due to financial difficulties, while others were tied to lawsuits involving unpaid contractors, disgruntled investors, and foreign partners who accused Magaya of breach of contract.

Mnangagwa’s Endorsement

President Emmerson Mnangagwa personally commissioned Magaya’s Yadah Stadium in Waterfalls, hailing it as a model of private investment that could complement government efforts to revive Zimbabwe’s ailing infrastructure. The event symbolised the close ties Magaya had cultivated with the political establishment, projecting him not only as a spiritual leader but also as an influential player in the country’s economic landscape.

At the commissioning, Mnangagwa praised Magaya’s vision and urged other church leaders and businesspeople to emulate him in supporting national development. The endorsement cemented Magaya’s reputation as a politically connected clergyman whose projects carried the weight of state approval.

Yet, despite such high-profile backing, cracks soon appeared in his empire. Allegations of financial mismanagement, debts owed to foreign investors, and legal disputes increasingly dogged his ventures.

The Legal Battle

The latest High Court ruling is tied to Magaya’s dispute with Li Xiu Yun, a Chinese investor who is owed substantial sums. The writ of execution authorises the sale of PHD Ministries’ rights and title to the hotel, stadium, and associated properties to recover the debt.

For the thousands of PHD congregants who regarded the Waterfalls complex as the heart of their ministry, the looming auction represents not only the loss of a spiritual home but also the collapse of one of Zimbabwe’s most ambitious religious property projects.

For Magaya himself, the ruling is a humiliating reversal from the days when he shared a stage with the President to celebrate his business vision.