It appears that self-proclaimed prophet and miracle worker Shepherd Bushiri lied about audit firm KPMG and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Church members are also speaking out about how they invested millions of rand in a scheme that would see their money end up in Malawi.
The fugitive televangelist was charged with corruption and money laundering in 2020 but skipped South Africa after getting bail.
Last week, Bushiri claimed that the NPA’s Sbongile Mzinyathi flew to Malawi to defend him and not to argue for his extradition to South Africa.
The Department of Justice, however, did not take Bushiri’s comments lying down.
Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said: “Rubbish! The NPA doesn’t defend people, it prosecutes them.”
So far, 17 people have confirmed to The Star that they deposited money in Bushiri’s investment programme and they didn’t see a cent in return.
On January 31, 2019, a criminal case of fraud was opened by Lindiwe Ngubane-Mbatha at the Sandton police station. Mbatha alleged that she attended an investment seminar in Sandton on March 18, 2017, at which Bushiri introduced a person known as “Landi” as the investment programme’s project manager. Mbatha claimed that she was cheated of a million rand by Bushiri.
KPMG, in a damning report, stated that at the said investment seminar Bushiri introduced people to the “Investment Programme”.
KPMG did not mention a company called Rising Estate Limited. However last week, Bushiri said Rising Estate Limited was the beneficiary of the millions of rand.
The Hawks refuted Bushiri, saying their information proved that close to R200 million “was sent to Malawi through different mechanisms” and that Rising Estate Limited, a company Bushiri invited as an investor, did nothing wrong.
Media outlet Malawi24 reported that Bushiri was purchasing a Boeing aircraft.
On arrival in Malawi, Bushiri was photographed with a Porsche, Rolls-Royce and other luxury cars.
According to the KPMG report, Bushiri announced an investment opportunity during his sermon in 2017. He explained that the investment scheme was called the “Shepherd Bushiri Trading Platform” and described the investment to relate to commodity and forex trading.
Bushiri informed his Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church’s congregation that the investment capital amount would double within one month (with higher multiples disclosed at other times). The minimum investment amount was set at R100 000.
Bushiri hired top criminal lawyer Annelene van den Heever to get him bail. Van den Heever claimed that her client was not a flight risk. However, Bushiri skipped the country.
Van den Heever has also represented now convicted taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela. She is now representing the four men accused of the murder of musician Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.
One of the investors, Felicia Sibeko, wrote to The Star pleading for help after the ECG Church failed to pay her a return on her ‘investment’.
The Star
sipho.jack@inl.co.za