A group of robbers forcefully entered Shepherd Bushiri’s church in Mpumalanga on Saturday night and robbed congregants at gunpoint.

According to Police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala, the incident occurred during a night vigil organized by the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG), which was founded by Bushiri.

As the congregants were waiting for other members to arrive, three individuals with handguns and their faces concealed entered the church premises. They proceeded to rob the congregants, taking an undisclosed amount of cash, 14 cellphones, personal bank cards, the church’s bank card, and demanding the personal identification numbers (PINs). Police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said:
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lt-Gen Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has already gathered a team of investigators to work on the case. The general said Mpumalanga police will never allow criminals to walk free and promised to get those behind the robbery behind bars soon.
Mohlala also said the suspects also took two vehicle keys from the congregants before making their escape in a stolen white VW Polo Vivo. The abandoned vehicle was later discovered approximately seven kilometres away from the church in Mzinti.

Bushiri and his wife, Mary, fled from South Africa to Malawi in November 2020 following his arrest on charges of theft and money laundering. He and his wife and two others are accused of stealing $6.6 million through theft, money laundering and fraud in South Africa.