A Zimbabwean court has convicted a popular pastor for allegedly claiming that he owns a herbal cure for HIV and Aids.

Walter Magaya had contravened the Medicines Control Act by selling an unapproved drug which he claimed could heal persons with HIV and Aids.

He pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him and was asked to pay a fine of $700 (over K500, 000.00).

He was arrested in November last year and had his alleged herbal seized.

Zimbabwe is one of the countries with high population of people living with HIV, according to a UN data which revealed that the country had 1.3 million people living with the virus in the year 2016.

BBC reports that 35-year-old Magaya is among a group of young, brash and flashy religious figures who have emerged during Zimbabwe’s economic crisis, attracting a huge number of followers with promises of miracle healing and miracle money.