Background
Early life
Bushiri was born and grew up in Mzuzu, which is in the northern part of Malawi and is a Tumbuka by tribe. His mother gave him the name Shepherd due to the complexities around his birth, acknowledging the Lord as her Shepherd. In August 2018, he was invited as a guest of honour at South Africa's National Day of Inter-faith prayer held at the Emirates Airline Stadium in Johannesburg, during which he offered prayers of reconciliation and unity. The event was attended by South African leading clergy and South Africa's Vice President David Mabuza.Given name controversy
Claims were made in '' The Citizen'' in February 2019 that Bushiri was born as Chipiliro Gama; "an invoice mistakenly sent to Baloyi Attorneys did not use the popular name Shepherd Bushiri, and instead called him Chipiliro Gama". In September 2019, Bushiri's spokesperson and communications director, Ephraim Nyondo, denied the allegations.Career
Bushiri is claimed to be one of the wealthiest pastors in the world and one of the most affluent people in Africa. He is mentored by multimillionaire businessman and leader of Good News Church in the UK, ProphetEnlightened Christian Gathering church
Shepherd Bushiri Investments
Bushiri's company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, is a controversial company that has been implicated in fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and ponzi schemes. South African Police seized properties and bank accounts belonging to the company after discovering it had defrauded pensioners of $6 million USD. The company claims to be an international investment company, based in Sandton near Johannesburg, with interests in oil, mining, real estate, transportation, and the hospitality industry. On 20 February 2018, Bushiri launched one of his hotel investments, a multimillion-dollar property in South Africa. The hotel is one of the properties seized by South African Police after Bushiri skipped bail and fled to his home country. SBI has a special interest in supporting governments, including economies of fragile state countries. In 2017, Bushiri was hosted by the Vice President of South Sudan – Dr. James Igga, Reserve Bank Governor and Finance Minister, during which a business deal was signed in the area of infrastructure and development. In 2018, Bushiri was given the prestigious award and induction into the CEO Hall of Fame by the ''African Leadership'' magazine.Charity work
Bushiri has been involved in many charitable works around the world, including work in Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Botswana, and South Africa. He formed a humanitarian organization called "Shepherd Bushiri Foundation" with Duncan Zgambo as the CEO, where he provides for the needy and less privileged. In 2017, he took maize to Lilongwe and spent K85 Million in Malawi Charity. He has invested in young people through his sports academy and through Major 1 Records, which sponsors and show-cases up-and-coming music artists. On 18 July 2018, Nelson Mandela Day, Bushiri launched an Africa-wide school adoption program with donations to a local school. The event was attended by Senior Government Officials from the South Africa Ministry of Education. In March 2019, Bushiri visitedOther
On 11 February 2020, it was reported by the ''Nyasa Times'' and ''Malawi24'' that Bushiri announced that he would be selling maize in Malawi at a price of MK5 000 ( US$6.85) per 50 kg (110 lbs), or US$124.55 per ton. The international price for corn futures (yellow maize) at the time of the announcement was US$150 per ton or US$7.50 per 50 kg. The local prices for maize sold commercially in Malawi were three to four times higher than that quoted by Bushiri, selling for as much as MK20 000 per 50 kg According to various reports, thousands of people bought the cheap maize at various sites within Malawi.Controversies
Curing HIV/AIDS
Bushiri has made claims of "curing HIV". He countered that he has never performed a miracle in his life because only Jesus can. Nevertheless, due to claims of unproven miracles, Botswana temporarily banned him from entering the country before courts ruled the ECG church is allowed to continue operating in the country. Initially he was free to enter the country at will, but now is required to apply for a visa every time he wants to enter Botswana.Fees for public dinners
The alleged fees charged to attend some of Bushiri's prestigious public dinners have been applauded. It was speculated that he charged R for a seat at his table at a gala dinner held on 23 December 2017 at the Pretoria Showground, and N$ for entry to a dinner held in Windhoek, Namibia in January 2016. Bushiri in several news interviews refuted the published extreme pricing claims for "so-called gala dinners", calling them "fabricated".Investment schemes
Allegedly, during a church service in March 2017, Bushiri announced that he wanted to make members of his church into millionaires. Congregants were then told via e-mail to invest at least R100 000 in cash with him within the next two days and were promised a 50% return within 30 banking days. Those that could not bring cash with them to the church were sent banking details of a company, Rising Estates, the directors of which are Bushiri lieutenants, Willah Mudolo, Duncan Oduor Otieno and Kit Ching Catherine Kum. Almost two years later, the people who gave Bushiri money claimed to have not received anything back. The investment scheme appears to be linked to Palambano Investments as six congregants from Bushiri's church claim they were told that the money they donated would be invested in Zambia in "gold minerals" as part of a Palamabo investment scheme. The congregants provided proof that the money had been paid into the ECG's First National Bank account.Paternity
It is alleged that in 2010, Bushiri impregnated a teenage Malawian woman, whom he met in 2007 in their hometown, Mzimba. It is further claimed that he bribed her with a cheque for Malawian kwacha (about R) to have an abortion but that the cheque bounced. The woman subsequently gave birth in 2011 to a girl who "is the spitting image of Bushiri and it is widely known in the district that he is the biological father", according to the father of the woman. The woman is now married and the family alleges that they "kept quiet out of fear". The village that the woman and child live in broke the news before the family approached Bushiri. Bushiri claims that the cheque was stolen from him and that, on the day the woman claims he made her pregnant, Bushiri was at a police station dealing with an attempted hijacking. In 2018, the mother again tried to get maintenance via the courts but was unsuccessful. Family members of the girl claim that Bushiri admits to the allegations in private, despite his public denials and have demanded a paternity test. His lawyer, Terrence Baloyi, did not respond to emails, text messages and calls from ''Non-payment for clothing
Darlington Manyawu, a businessman based in Hong Kong, claims to have sold Bushiri clothing to the value of R but had not received payment for them. He claims that the clothing was given to Bushiri's spokesman, Maynard Manyowa on 28 June 2019 and Bushiri has subsequently been seen wearing the clothes at public church gatherings. Ephraim Nyondo, the spokesman for the Enlightened Christian Gathering church, did not dispute the claim but stated that the matter did not concern Bushiri as it was between Manyawu and Manyowa.Radio Veritas
The South African Catholic radio station, Radio Veritas, was reprimanded by theAlleged infidelity
On 20 February 2020, the former deputy finance minister of Zimbabwe,Rape and Sexual Assault
On March 21, 2021, South African Police charged Shepherd Bushiri with 16 counts of rape relating to 8 different victims. At the time the police had already issued 3 warrants of arrests relating to three separate charges of rape against Bushiri The police claimed that Bushiri targeted women and girls at his church. According to police documents, the girls, including some as young as 15 and who were sisters were kept in hotel rooms and brutally raped for hours before being given between $500 and $700 and being asked to leave. Police later announced they were investigating Bushiri's associates whom they accused of intimidating victims, and reported that several victims had come forward between 2016 and 2018 and accused Bushiri of rape before recanting their testimonies after being intimidated or paid off. In December 2021, police arrested Brigadier Rosey Resondt’s husband, Clifford Cornelius Resondt, who was Bushiri’s head of security and charged them with corruption and defeating the ends of justice after Bushiri sent them R500,000 which was given to a rape victim who later recanted her allegations.Fraudulent permit
On 24 October 2020, South African Police revealed that Shepherd Bushiri's residency in the country may have been irregular after noticing that his South African issued identity card was issued in 1996 but Bushiri and his wife had first travelled to South Africa in 2010 on tourist visas. The police later announced that Bushiri had paid for a fraudulent residency permit and deemed him an illegal immigrant. After the announcement, 5 officials were suspended for having issued Bushiri fraudulent identity documents.Arrest
On 1 February 2019, Bushiri was arrested together with his wife by South Africa's Directorate for Priority Investigations ( HAWKS) for fraud and money laundering. The Hawks said the case against the couple was linked to alleged offences of fraud and money laundering, as well as the contravention of South Africa's Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), which had been committed from 2015. The contravention of the Act was in relation to Exchange Control Regulations relating to foreign currency of $. On 28 August 2019, Bushiri's court case was postponed until 29 November 2019 to allow his legal team, including Terrence Baloyi andPersonal life
Bushiri was born to a Malawian father and a Zambian mother. He is married to Mary Bushiri. They have two daughters together. On 29 March 2021, Bushiri announced the passing away of his first daughter Israella in Kenya after a lengthy respiratory illness, and stated that as a father it was his desire to see her grow and serve the Lord.References
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