Self-styled prophet Walter Magaya, the leader of the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, has donated $18,000 towards performing artist Pretty Xaba’s Cancer Fund to enable the Zimbabwean actress to go for cancer treatment in India.
Taonga Mafundikwa, who heads the fund raising campaign, told VOA Studio 7 he was humbled by the response from Zimbabweans following a call to help raise money for Xaba’s surgery.
"We feel so humbled by the donations we have received so far it's really shown us that there is still hope in mankind. We hope those that have pledged other donations will still leave up to their promises," said Mafundikwa.
Magaya and other locals donated to her treatment fund.
Xaba, who has throat cancer and needs urgent surgery, is expected to leave Zimbabwe for India on Saturday.
She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and her doctors recommended that she gets specialist treatment out of the country as the location of the tumor causing her cancer is in a very delicate place that makes it difficult to operate locally.
Xaba is well-known for her role in the local drama Studio 263 and local advertisements.
The Cancer Association of Zimbabwe says two of the top cancers affecting people in the country are cancer of the cervics in women and prostate cancer in men.
Health services manager Patience Nyemba says the latest cancer studies conducted in 2011 locally show that there was a higher incidence of cancer in women than men.