2016 Rape Charges and Affair with Church Member
In August 2016, Magaya was arrested on rape charges. According to the case, he had raped an MSU student, Petronella Donhodzo Mandaza, at one of his residences in Harare, and had later given her $200. He was released on US $2,000 bail shortly afterwards to appear in court again for trial. Magaya had indicated days earlier that he was the target of extortion.
In November 2016, Donhodzo attempted to withdraw the rape charges. In withdrawal affidavits dated 8 November 2016 and 15 November 2016, that were slipped under the door at the Harare Provincial Magistrate's office, Donhodzo stated that she had been receiving death threats from unknown people who wanted her to proceed with the trial and secure Magaya's conviction. [9]
The affidavits did not clarify why she withdrew the case despite alleged threats. The application to withdraw the rape charges was rejected.
On 1 December 2016, Donhodzo addressed a letter to Acting PG Ray Goba accompanied by an affidavit, insisting that she was never raped and that the accusations were false. [10]
Despite her withdrawal attempt, the State decided to proceed with the trial, arguing it had jurisdiction over the matter. Magaya's lawyers later sought intervention from the constitutional court. [10]
In January 2017, a video of Magaya admitting to an affair with Donhodzo surfaced online. Magaya did not dispute its authenticity but claimed that his confession had been extracted through extortion by a police officer demanding $500,000. [11]
Following reports of leaked recordings, a video surfaced in which Magaya allegedly confessed to police that he had an affair with Donhodzo. He also stated that another church member, Kudakwashe, had extorted him. Shortly after, multiple phone conversations between Magaya and Donhodzo were leaked on Youtube, reportedly capturing discussions about financial transactions related to their affair. In these conversations, Donhodzo allegedly expressed frustration over Magaya’s lack of availability and requested financial compensation. One particular conversation reportedly involved Magaya agreeing to pay $100,000 in exchange for silence. Other recordings purportedly show discussions about transferring money into Donhodzo’s CBZ account, with concerns raised over potential money laundering risks. While the authenticity of these recordings has been debated, their release intensified public scrutiny over Magaya’s conduct.
In January 2018, Magaya was summoned to court again on the same matter, with the State arguing that he had coerced the complainant into withdrawing her accusations.
In an attempt to nullify a 2019 High Court ruling authorizing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) to investigate allegations of sexual abuse, Magaya approached the Supreme Court. In October 2021, the Supreme Court dismissed Magaya's appeal, ruling that preventing the ZGC from conducting investigations would violate legal statutes. Justice Marie-Anne Gowora upheld the decision, dismissing the appeal as meritless. [12]
