By Paul Nyathi

South Africa’s crack crime investigation department, the Hawks, has confirmed investigating prophet Shepherd Bushiri on allegations of money laundering.

Hawks spokesperson Hwangani Mulaudzi confirmed in South African weekend media that the crime fighting unit is investigating the wealthy prophet for illegally sending out of the country millions of Rands to his native home in Malawi.

According to the Hawks, Bushiri is reportedly sending out to Malawi at least R15 Million cash on a monthly basis to his business units in Malawi.

“The matter has been brought to us and its under investigations,” said Mulaudzi.

“It is not our policy to give details when we are still investigating a matter but we are indeed investigating Bushiri,” he said.

The crime fighting unit indicated that it got interested in investigating Bushiri after disgruntled members of the church provided them with information on him illegally exporting cash and cheating people of their money through fake miracles.

Bushiri is said to be sending out the money to his home country using his private jet and does not put the cash into the country’s banking system but invests it directly into his numerous business ventures.

The senior members of the church allegedly spilt the beans on Bushiri when he failed to pay them and other people after them giving fake confessions and testimonies of being healed and being helped by the prophet.

The Hawks claim that the members are normally paid amounts of up to R100 000 for giving testimonies of them being helped by the prophet’s prayers.

Bushiri who runs the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church is popular in Zimbabwe for giving Vice President Kembo Mohadi a prophesy that he was going to land the second highest office in the country.

In recent days several reports have been made of Bushiri running prearranged miracles and using technology to dupe people to believe that he is doing miracles from God.