Even in court ‘Major 1’ wows: ‘Bushiri is a man of God, ordained by God’ claims spokesperson
Calm, confident, majestic and stately could be words to describe how Prophet Shepherd Bushiri known as Major 1 and wife, holding hands, entered the Pretoria magistrate court for the first hearing of their case.
Flanked by his lawyers and a swarm of police officers, Bushiri—who kept sharing jokes with his wife and some officers close to him—was majestic in his fashionable designer suits and his wife in well-tailored white dress.
As they were making their way into the court, thousands had already gathered outside the court in solidarity with the founder and leader of the Christian non-denominational evangelical church known as the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) .
Most of them were carrying placards bearing the ‘NO MAJOR 1 NO VOTE’.
Renowned church leaders such Prophet Mboro and senior Prophet Justice Hara were also at the court in solidarity with the Prophet.
Even leaders of Sanco and Black First Land (BLF) first were there.
The hearing of the case has been postponed to Wednesday. Thousands are expected to turn to the streets again in support of Major 1.
Bushiri and his wife Mary were arrested last week in Rustenburg and face charges relating to money laundering, fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The Hawks say their investigation extends back to 2015, when the incidents allegedly took place.
According to Times Live of South Africa, Bushiri raised eyebrows in 2017 when he bought his daughter a R1.6m Maserati for her sixth birthday and posted the picture of the Maserati on his Facebook page with a caption wishing his daughter a happy birthday.
City Press reported that an affidavit from the Hawks states that Bushiri’s wife, “Prophetess Mary”, purchased a jet for R15.3m (in cash, nogal) which allegedly contravened the exchange control regulations.
In the report, Times Live also cites Malawian publication,Nyasa Times reported that Bushiri bought a multimillion-dollar hotel in Rustenburg, North West, last year called Sparkling Waters Hotel and Spa which is one of eight that the Bushiri owns in different countries under SB Hotels.
Bushiri and his wife were arrested at Sparkling Waters last week.
Authorities had already filed an application at the High Court in Pretoria, seeking its permission to seize the Bushiris’ luxury houses and cars, as well as the self-styled prophet’s Gulfstream private jet, which is parked in a private hangar at Lanseria Airport outside Johannesburg.
The Prophet’s spokesman Ephrain Nyondo has played down charges of fraud and insists Bushiri is a prophet and not a fraudster.
“Prophet Shepherd Bushiri is a man of God, ordained by God and whatever he does, he does under the authority for God,” Nyondo told 702 News.
Nyondo claims that Bushiri says his church is funded by various businesses he owns.
“There is a difference between Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, the minister at Enlightened Christian Gathering Church and Bushiri the entrepreneur and that distinction should be clear.
“The church is managed by directors in all the branches across the world and we have 178 branches across the world and we have a corporate office that manages all these branches,” he said.
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My bible teaches me not judge but lets judgement come from God ..period .How many of us have never committed a crime ?Are we angels myb?Bushiri is just a human like all of us for this reason we shouldn’t behave like angels plz.Do you know thar bushiri loves malawi as his home??Wapanga zingati zabwino kwathu kuno???
l personally l wish Bushiri , Mrs Bushiri and ECG family all the best. Love to Papa from Malawi.
The end is nigh.
I never been his follower but my fellow malawians let’s learn to love one another remember Bushiri has been helping the needy some few years amazagawa chimanga kuno thousands of people got relief maize, how many of us Malawians can do that , politicians only when they need votes. Malawi let’s love one another envy Will take us no where. I pray for him because he is my fellow black malawian. God be with you shepherd Bushiri
Ordained by God. You bunch of thugs and now u are cornered as criminals
The issue is about money laundering and fraud, not kubela osauka and the such like. I have never been a Bushiri follower but I think some comments here are based on envy. I have also wondered how he has got to be so rich, but that’s not what the Hawks are charging him with.
let’s give justice wheels a chance to turn. If he is guilty they will prove it. if not guilty, it shall as well be proven.
God will fight this battle4him and those who hate him will be put2shame.
Nothing wowing about money laundering.
Why are Malawians always happy when someone is going through a bad patch? I’ll never understand the mentality. Maybe poverty is got something to do with it.
What bad patch? A thief being caught is not bad patch.
Timkanena ife, akuti ngakhale Yesu atati Bushiri is fake, omutsatila bushiri anganene kuti Yesu akuchita naye jelasi bushiri. Brainwashed people
Really? Ordained by God yes. Koma zauchiombazi mulungu sanutume. Even Mfumu Davide anadzodzedwa ndi mulungu koma za chigololo anali maganizo ake
zomwe mwayenera kudziwa inu a Emarire ndi izi: Why did they arrest him soon after being cleared by CRL on the stampede issue. ndiye mudziwe kuti chiwembuchi chinalipo ndi kale.
Chachiwiri dziwani kuno the strategy is to eliminate all foreign preachers from south africa. Akathana ndi prophet Bushiri kenanko ma foreign churches onse. Musamasekere chonchi a malawi dzukani. Mapeto ake ndarama zonse za ma foreign preachers zizalandiridwa, ndiye iny amphawi aku malawi mukusekerera zimenezo. Zomvetsa chisoni a malawi mukamayankhula chipongwe chonchi.
That’s what we call coincidence but bottom line remains that a CONMAN has met his 40th day.
Most Malawians think they’re clever people yet they are not, full of jealousy, this will not take u anywhere, no wonder Malawi remains the poorest Country in the World. Some of us who read the bible are not surprised that Mojor 1 is being denied by people of his own Country coz even Jesus too was denied in his Country. U Malawians I must tell u this, Major 1 is a true Prophet of God, agree or disagree, sooner than later, u gonna prove it. Ndangodutsapo……
I wish him all the best.
ndizaulula
liti, mukungotaya nthawi. Mulungu amuwolotsa and you will be ashamed again. Major1 for life, God’s servant.
Wachake ndi wachake. Bushiri used to make headlines on Nyasatimes for bad news concerning women or girls. This doesn’t surprise some of us. Riches from no where? Milking the desperate like odwala, osauka, widows, etc. is not good. Government is supposed to protect the less privileged.
Envy, jealous and hatred coz he’s from Malawi and he’s made it big in foreign land. Typical…..
How has he made it big? Si kubela anthuko? Did Jesus do that?
La 40 lakwana. Most of us know that Bushiri is a spiritual conman masquarading as a Prophet
Khokhokho. Unfortunately Chipyelero, majority are thick and brainwashed that can’t see the light in front of them. They are the type being swindled. Pathetic lazy bunch.
Oh yea….same. old defence…the devil is attacking man of God.Would hope his followers would take pause and reflect..lest they fall into the trap of thinking this is ” persecution ” when in actuality it’s credible and justifiable criminal” prosecution”