The fraud and money laundering trial against self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, kicks off at the Pretoria high court today.

Bushiri and Mary briefly appeared in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court on last year.

The couple, who head the multi-thousand member church, are facing charges of money laundering, fraud and contravention of the Prevention of the Organised Crime Act.

In the initial appearance, thousands of supporters gathered outside the court to support their “spiritual father”. Most were clad in T-shirts bearing their leader’s face.

Ephraim Nyondo, spokesperson for the church, said then, the support showed how much Bushiri was loved.

“People from Angola, Malawi, Israel and the US came here today. It shows the power and the love the people have for their leader. They always support him because he is their voice.”

Similar crowds may not be possible this time due to the enforcement of strict Covid-19 lockdown regulations.