Shepherd Bushiri

Shepherd Bushiri (wakubabika Chipiliro Gama) uyo wakumanyikwaso kuti Major 1 ni mupharazgi, nchimi, wamalonda, wakupeleka vifukwa, na mulembi wa mabuku wa ku Malawi.

Ni munthu uyo wakususkana chomene na ŵanthu ndipo wakamba kutchuka chomene wati wafumiska vidiyo iyo yikulongora kuti wakwenda mu mlengalenga. Pamanyuma, bwana munyake uyo wakendeskanga vinthu vya Bushiri wakavumbura kuti Bushiri wakachitanga minthondwe kuti ŵanthu ŵamanye. Bushiri wakwendeska tchalitchi la Christian non-denominational charismatic evangelical church lakumanyikwa kuti Enlightened Christian Gathering ilo lili ku South Africa. Sono mpingo uwu uli na ofesi yikuru ku Lilongwe, Malawi, ndipo uli na maofesi ghanyake mu vyaru vinyake vya mu Africa na vyaru vinyake. Zuŵa lililose ŵanthu ŵanandi ŵakuluta ku tchalitchi ili. Wakulongosora kuti mpingo ni uteŵeti waucimi uwo ukujintha pa fundo yakuti "Ciuta wakupwelelera na kutemwa ŵanthu ndipo wakukhumba kuyowoya nawo mwakudunjika".

Kampani ya Bushiri yakuzenga ndalama, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, yikubenekelereka na milandu yinandi ya upusikizgi, ndipo ndalama zakubisika na katundu wake zinandi zakopeka na ŵapolisi pamanyuma pakuti pulani ya Ponzi iyo yikendeskanga yikatondeka ndipo ŵapenshoni ŵakapusikika. Kampani iyi nayo yikadandawura ku boma la United States of America ndipo yikapika mulandu wa upusikizgi. Kampani iyi yikaŵa ku Sandton, kufupi na Johannesburg, ndipo yikaŵa na migodi yakujumpha 27, ndipo yikaguliskanga ndalama mu vyaru vinyake, malo na ndege. Kweniso wali na wayilesi ya TV, kampani yakupharazga, minda yakupambanapambana, malo, masukulu gha maseŵero na mayunivesite. Bushiri wakamba bizinesi apo wakaŵa muwukirano kuti wawovwire ŵanthu ŵa mu cikaya cake na kupharazga makani ghawemi pa caru cose. Munthu uyu wakaŵa musambazi comene cifukwa ca kugwiliskira nchito nthowa zakupambanapambana pakupanga malonda.

 Umoyo Wakwambilira 
Bushiri wakababika na kukulira ku Mzuzu, kumpoto kwa Malawi. Amama ŵake ŵakamuthya zina lakuti Muliska cifukwa ca masuzgo agho ghakaŵapo apo wakababikanga.

Wakwendendeka mu caru cose na kucita maungano na maungano ghakukhwaskana na kusambizga, kuzunura na kucizga. Mu Ogasiti 2018, wakacemeka nga ni mulendo wakuchindikika pa Zuŵa la Malurombo la Charu chose cha South Africa ilo likachitikira pa Emirates Airline Stadium mu Johannesburg, apo wakapempheranga kuti ŵanthu ŵaphemane na kukolerana. Pa ungano uwu pakaŵaso ŵalongozgi ŵa cisopa ŵa ku South Africa kweniso David Mabuza, uyo wakaŵa mwimiliri wa pulezidenti wa caru ici.

 Given name controversy 
The Citizen mu February 2019 yikati Bushiri wakababika nga ni Chipiliro Gama; "faktura iyo yikatumizgika ku Baloyi Attorneys mwakubudiska yikagwiliskira ntchito zina la Shepherd Bushiri yayi, kweni yikamuchema Chipiliro Gama". Lipoti linyake mu nyuzipepara ya The Sunday Times mu Febuluwale 2019 likati: "Adada ŵa Bushiri, Huxley, na amama ŵake, Cristina, awo ŵakaŵa ŵa ku Zambia, ŵakamulera nga ni Chipiliro Gama".

Mu Seputembala 2019, muyowoyeri wa Bushiri kweniso mulongozgi wa vya kutumizgana, Ephraim Nyondo, wakakana ivyo ŵakayowoya.

 Ntchito 
Sono Bushiri wakumanyikwa kuti ni muliska musambazi comene pa caru cose ndiposo yumoza wa ŵanthu ŵasambazi comene mu Africa.

Wakulongozgeka na munthu wa bizinesi wa ku Zimbabwe uyo ni mulongozgi wa mpingo wa Good News Church mu UK, Prophet Uebert Angel. Ŵanthu ŵakuti Bushiri ni "mwana wauzimu" wa nchimi Angel.

 Enlightened Christian Gathering church 

 Shepherd Bushiri Investments 
Kampani ya Bushiri, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, ni kampani yakususkana iyo yikukhwaskika na upusikizgi, kunanga ndalama, kunjilirapo pa msonkho na ma Ponzi.Wapolisi wa ku South Africa wakakora katundu na maakaunti gha banki gha kampani iyi pamanyuma pakumanya kuti yikupusika ŵanthu awo ŵali na ndalama zakukwana $6 million USD. Kampani iyi yikujiyowoya kuti ni kampani ya vyamalonda iyo yili ku Sandton kufupi na Johannesburg, ndipo yikugwira ntchito mu vyamalonda nga ni mafuta, migodi, katundu, mendero, na vyamalonda. Pa 20 February 2018, Bushiri wakambiska umoza wa ma hotel investment ghake, property ya mamiliyoni ghanandi mu South Africa. Hotelo iyi njimoza mwa malo agho ŵapolisi ŵa South Africa ŵakayora pamanyuma pakuti Bushiri watondeka kufumapo na kuwelera kukwake. SBI yikukhumbisiska comene kovwira maboma, kusazgapo vyaru ivyo muli masuzgo gha vyachuma. Mu chaka cha 2017, Bushiri wakasangika na Vice President wa South Sudan Dr. Mubali James Igga, uyo ni kazembe wa Reserve Bank na nduna ya vya ndalama, nayo wakalembeska phangano la bizinesi pa nkhani ya vyakuzenga na vyakutukuka. Mu chaka cha 2018 Shepherd Bushiri wakapokera chawanangwa chapadera na kunjira mu CEO Hall of Fame na magazini ya African Leadership.

 Charity work 
Bushiri wali kuchitako milimo yinandi yakovwira ŵanthu pa charu chose, kusazgapo ku Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Botswana, na South Africa. Wakambiska wupu wakuwona vya wanangwa wa ŵanthu wakucemeka "Shepherd Bushiri Foundation" uwo Duncan Zgambo ndiyo ni CEO wake. Wakupeleka vyawanangwa, kusazgapo wovwiri wa ndalama; wovwiri wa masambiro ku ŵalanda; wovwiri wa ŵanthu kwizira mu wovwiri wa vyakurya.Mu chaka cha 2017, wakaluta na chibage ku Lilongwe ndipo wakapeleka K85 Million ku Malawi Charity. Wakugwiliskira nchito sukulu yake ya maseŵero gha maseŵero na Major 1 Records, iyo yikovwira na kusambizga ŵanthu awo ŵakwiza ku sukulu iyi. Pa 18 July 2018, Zuŵa la Nelson Mandela, Bushiri wakambiska pulogiramu ya kusambizga ŵana ŵa sukulu mu Africa yose na kupeleka vyawanangwa ku sukulu yinyake. Pa ungano uwu pakaŵaso ŵalaraŵalara ŵa boma la South Africa.

Mu Malichi 2019, Bushiri wakaluta kukawona Alexandra ku South Africa, uko moto ukawotcha nyumba zakujumpha 100. Wakayowoya kuti wapelekenge ndalama zakukwana R400000 (kwimira madola pafupifupi 29,000 gha ku United States) ku mawupu ghakupeleka wovwiri wa mwaluŵiro "awo ghakwenera kovwira ŵana ŵa mu cigaŵa ici".

 Other 
Pa 11 February 2020, zikalembeka na nyuzipepara ya Nyasa Times na Malawi24 kuti Bushiri wakapharazga kuti wamuguliska chiŵiya cha chiŵiya mu Malawi pa mtengo wa MK5 000 (US$6.85) pa 50 kg (110 lbs), panji US$124.55 pa tani. Pa nyengo iyo ŵakapharazgiranga, mtengo wa vyakurya vya makoroni (yellow maize) pa caru cose ukaŵa USD 150 pa tani limoza panji USD 7.50 pa makilogiramu 50. Mtengo wa chimanga uwo ukaguliskikanga ku Malawi ukaŵa wakukwana katatu panji kanayi kuluska uwo Bushiri wakayowoya.

 Controversies 

 Curing HIV/AIDS 
Bushiri wakayowoyapo kuti "wakuchizga HIV". Wakamuzgora kuti wandacitepo munthondwe mu umoyo wake cifukwa ni Yesu pera uyo wangacita. Ndipouli, cifukwa ca ivyo ŵanthu ŵakuti ni minthondwe yambura kusimikizgika, boma la Botswana likamukanizga kunjira mu caru pambere makhoti ghandadumure kuti mpingo wa ECG ulutilire kugwira nchito mu caru ici. Pakwamba wakaŵa mwanangwa kunjira mu caru ici, kweni sono wakwenera kupempha visa para wakukhumba kunjira mu Botswana.

 Fees for public dinners 
Ŵanthu ŵanandi ŵakukondwa na ndalama izo ŵanthu ŵakulipira para ŵiza ku viphikiro vya Bushiri. Wakaghanaghananga kuti wakapoka ndalama zakukwana R25000 kuti wakhale pa thebulu lake pa chiphikiro icho chikachitika pa 23 December 2017 ku Pretoria Showground, na N$1000 kuti wanjire pa chiphikiro icho chikachitika ku Windhoek, Namibia mu January 2016. Bushiri mu nkhani zinandi wakakanira ivyo ŵanthu ŵakayowoya vya "vyakurya vyakusanguluska" ivyo ŵakalemba kuti ni vyautesi.

 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. East London, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Mluleki Mbi confirmed that a case had been opened against Palambano Investments and its directors in response to a complaint by Nombeko Dwesini, one of Bushiri's congregants.

 Paternity 
It is alleged that in 2010, Bushiri impregnated a teenage Malawian woman, whom he met in 2007 in their home town, 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 City Press seeking comment.

 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 Elightened 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 the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for airing a one-sided programme laced with allegations against Bushiri on 1 December 2019. Bushiri had claimed that the broadcast was "malicious, damaging to his reputation, libelous, contained lies, was unfounded" and did not afford him the right of reply. The BCCSA noted that Veritas Radio had contravened the broadcasting act in not presenting the opposing view from Bushiri.

 Alleged infidelity 
On 20 February 2020, former deputy finance minister of Zimbabwe, Terence Mukupe, accused Bushiri of an adulterous affair with Mukupe's musician wife, Rachel, which resulted in the impregnation of Rachel. He claimed to have WhatsApp evidence of his wife and the preacher arranging to meet for "sex romps in Malawi, Pretoria and Rustenburg". He also claimed that Bushiri had taken R (approx $) from him to finance his church, Enlightened Christian Gathering.

Bushiri responded to the allegations, saying that he had not left South Africa in the past 13 months and therefore could not have met with Rachel Mukupe. He also claimed that he had not used WhatsApp or iMessage for the past 3 years and hence could not have sent her the messages Terence Mukupe claimed to have found. Bushiri also said that he had engaged his lawyers in Zimbabwe to "urgently seek legal recours".

Mukupe's response to Bushiri was that Bushiri had not used his own phone to contact Rachel and that Mukupe had paid for the tickets for Bushiri to travel. According to reports, "Mukupe's public spat with Bushiri has divided opinion among ZANU–PF members over his psychological fitness to head the ZanuPF youth league."

On 3 March, Rachel (known as Rachel J) responded to the allegations between Bushiri and Mukupe. In her statement, released via her family, it was stated that:

 She was not married to Terence Mukupe although the man did live in her home and she had had children with him.
 She looked after him and his 10 children.
 Rachel had terminated their relationship because she had discovered that Terence Mukupe had once again impregnated Tracy Winterboer, the second child sired with the same woman during Rachel's relationship with Mukupe.
 The claims of her impregnation by Bushiri are unbelievable since Mukupe's evidence shows that they met in 2018. "How is it possible for her to carry a pregnancy for two years?" they asked.

On 4 March, Rachel J's family demanded a paternity test be performed on the child to prove that he was not Bushiri's.

On 6 March, Rachel gave birth to a daughter she referred to as "Najah, Deborah, Makomborero". No paternity tests had been conducted at that point.

 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 and Barry Roux, to make representations to the National Prosecuting Authority. The case was subsequently postponed to 27 July 2020 for trial, at which time it was postponed to October 2020.

In November 2019, application was made by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for the forfeiture of a 1984 Gulfstream aircraft owned by Bushiri and hangared at Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg. The NPA claimed that the aircraft had been procured with funds illegally obtained. Bushiri claimed that it was legitimately acquired in 2016 for $ (R). The application for forfeiture was not ready to go ahead and was removed from the court roll.

Bushiri and his wife were each granted R (approx $) bail after appearing in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on 6 February 2019. Among the bail conditions were that the couple remain in Gauteng and their travel documents remain with the state. If they needed to travel, they would need to get written permission from investigating officers. Bushiri and wife were also not allowed to make contact with any of the witnesses.

On 20 October 2020, prior to their court appearance on 30 October 2020, the Bushiris were arrested on charges which were not included in the previous cases. Conflicting reports implicated various combinations of Landiwe Sindani, Landiwe Ntokwana, Willah Mudolo and Zethu Mudolo in the fraud case as co-accused with the Bushiris. The Bushiris are also accused of being illegally in South Africa and of having contravened the immigration regulations on several occasions since at least 2015. Their bail application was set for 30 October. The Bushiris had not been released from prison as they were considered a flight risk as evidenced by the allegations that they had illegally exported a Bentley and a Maserati to Malawi earlier in 2020.

The trial date for the fraud case was set for May 2021.

On 14 November 2020, reports surfaced that Bushiri and his wife had fled back to Malawi, breaking bail conditions due to fears for their safety. On November 20, Bushiri and his wife, who were arrested in their native country on November 18, were released from a Malawi prison after their arrest was deemed unprocedural.

The following week, Bushiri and his wife were arrested again and arraigned before the court's where Malawi prosecutors sought to extradite them to South Africa. They were released on bail and their extradition case is ongoing. In February 2022 the high court refused to throw out Bushiri's challenge of his extradition and instead sent the case to the Magistrate's court for ruling.

 Personal life 
Bushiri was born to a Malawian father and a Zambian mother. He is married to Mary Bushiri, who is active in charity work. 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 

 External links 

 Official Biography of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri
 "Major One", Shepherd Bushiri Ministries
 Prophet Shepherd Bushiri website
 Enlightened Christian Gathering website