By A Correspondent

Walter Magaya of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries has once again found himself at the center of controversy—this time for promoting so-called “anointed apples” ahead of a Sunday service.

The stunt has been widely condemned as exploitative and deceptive, targeting desperate followers with baseless spiritual promises.

A source within PHD Ministries revealed: “Prophet Magaya P havasi kurara—vari busy kugomo kunamatira ma ‘anointed apples’ in time for the Sunday service.” The comment suggests the cleric is devoting extensive time on a prayer mountain to bless the apples before distributing them to congregants.

Religious commentators and members of the public have not held back their criticism. “This kind of manipulation undermines the core of religious faith. People are being made to believe that fruit can solve their problems,” said one Harare-based theology scholar. “It’s spiritual theatre—calculated and commercial.”

Another critic noted, “What we are witnessing is a disturbing trend where religion is reduced to performances and objects. First it was anointed oil, now it’s apples. What next?”

Many are calling for tighter oversight of self-proclaimed prophets and their questionable practices. The “anointed apples” episode has reignited debate about the commercialization of religion in Zimbabwe and the urgent need to protect vulnerable communities from spiritual exploitation masquerading as faith.