Staff Reporter.
SA Police Services are investigating a robbery that took place at Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church founded by self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said about 10 members of the church’s Kamhlushwa branch were gathered for a night vigil when they were robbed by a group of suspects.
“While waiting for other members to arrive, three robbers armed with handguns stormed the church and robbed members of an undisclosed amount of cash, 14 cellphones, personal bank cards, church’s bank card and further demanded the personal identification numbers (PINs).”
“The suspects further robbed the congregants’ two vehicle keys, and managed to flee the scene with one of the robbed white VW Polo Vivo which was later found abandoned at Mzinti, about 7 kilometres from the church,” said Mohlala.
Bhushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, fled South Africa for Malawi after fraud charges were brought against them in 2020.
The self-proclaimed prophet had accumulated at least five warrants of arrest while he was still under investigation for the rape of multiple members of his Enlightened Church Gathering church.
Malawi received the formal extradition request for Bushiri and his wife from the South African government on 5 December 2021.