So who is Shepherd Bushiri?
And why has he become so popular and controversial at the same time these days?
About 48 hours ago, he and his wife, Mary Bushiri, were arrested in Rustenburg, North
West Province of South Africa, and placed under security custody, to appear in court
on Monday 04 February 2019.
In this video, we are going to take a close look at the person of Shepherd Bushiri, his
background, where he comes from, his career, and his impact on the people he shares relationship
with.
It is strongly believed, that by watching this video, you will definitely be in a better
position to make more informed and objective opinion about Shepherd Bushiri, and also,
better understand why he is both popular and controversial.
So please stick around, and in the meant time, do well to subscribe if you have not done
so already.
Thank you.
Shepherd Huxley Bushiri, popularly known as Major 1, or Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, is a
preacher, motivational speaker, author and businessman from a country called Malawi.
He was born on 20 February 1983, and so currently, he is almost 36 years.
Malawi is a land-locked country in south-eastern Africa.
The country is defined by its topography of highlands, split by the Great Rift Valley,
and enormous lake, called Lake Malawi.
The captical city is Lilongwe, and the monetary currency is the Malawian kwacha.
The current president of Malawi is Peter Mutharika.
The population is 18.62 million, according to World Bank publication in 2017.
The official languages are English and Chewa.
Malawi gain independence from the British on 06 July 1964, and assumed a republican
status on 06 July 1966.
The per capita income of Malawi is $1.18.
Prophet Shepherd Bushiri founded, and leads a non-denominational evangelical church known
as the Enlightened Christian Gathering.
The church has its headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa, not Malawi, with branches in
other African countries, and around the world.
Tens of thousands of people are attracted to the church every day.
He describes the church as a Prophetic Ministry, based on the principle that, God cares and
loves people, and wants to speak directly to them, and directly so.
Bushiri also runs a private global investment company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, which
is based in Sandton, near Johannesburg, with interests in mining, real estate, an airline
and other entrepreneurial pursuits.
According to Bushiri, he ventured into business to support his family, as he does not believe
the church must support his family.
Shepherd Bushiri grew up in Mzuzu, which is in the northern part of Malawi.
His mother gave him the name Shepherd, due to the complexities surrounding his birth,
acknowledging the Lord as her Shepherd.
At a young age, he had a spiritual encounter that led him to dedicate his life to serving
God.
He travels around the world, holding crusades and meetings, focused on teaching, prophecy
and healing.
In August 2018, he was invited, as a guest of honor, 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 Deputy President,
David Mabuza.
Shepherd Bushiri started his first business at an early age, after receiving a small loan
from his father.
The loan was used in farming, with profits reinvested into larger ventures.
He is now known as one of the wealthiest pastors in the world, and one of the most affluent
people in Africa.
Bushiri is mentored by multi-millionaire businessman, and leader of the Good News Church in the
UK, Prophet Uebert Angel.
Bushiri is said to be the most celebrated and popular Spiritual Son of Prophet Angel.
Angel has other Spiritual sons, including Romeo Marom, Bulgaria based miracle worker,
Maksim Asenov, leader of Imperial City Church, Isaiah Brian Sovi, and South African based
Apostle Miz Tancredi.
The Enlightened Christian Gathering is reported as one of the fastest growing churches in
Africa and the world.
Bushiri is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering.
He has established and leads churches in South Africa, Malawi, and other countries.
He has been interviewed for television by the BBC, and received coverage also in Al
Jazeera, New African, Nigerian Tribune, and African Leadership Magazine.
Bushiri’s services attract over 100,000 viewers, via his personally owned television
station, social media and in-person attendees.
His largest gatherings were held on New Year’s Eve at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South
Africa, with over 95,000 attendees both in 2016 and 2017.
The FNB stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the largest stadium in Africa, with a capacity
of 94,736 spectators.
Shepherd Bushiri's private company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, is an international investment
company, based in Sandton near Johannesburg, with interests in oil, mining, real estate,
transportation and the hospitality industry.
On February 20, 2018, Bushiri launched one of his hotel investments, a multi-million-dollar
property in South Africa.
Shepherd Bushiri Investments 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, Shepherd Bushiri was given the prestigious award, and induction into the CEO Hall of
Fame by the African Leadership Magazine.
Shepherd Bushiri has been involved in many charitable works around the world, including
work in Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa.
He provides charitable donations, including livelihood support, educational support for
orphans, and humanitarian relief in the form of food subsidies.
In 2017, he took maize to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, 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 Nelson Mandela Day, 18 July 2018, 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 Department
of Education.
Bushiri has been accused of making unproven claims of "curing HIV."
He countered that he has never performed a miracle in his life, because only Jesus Christ
can.
Nevertheless, due to claims of unproven miracles, a country by name Botswana, temporarily banned
him from entering the country, before courts ruled that the Enlightened Christian Gathering
Church is allowed to continue operating in the country.
He is currently free to enter the country at will.
The fees charged, to attend some of Bushiri's public dinners, have been questioned.
It was reported that he charged up to R25,000 for a seat at his table, at a gala dinner
held on 23 December 2017, at the Pretoria Show-ground, and N$1,000 for entry to a dinner
held in Windhoek, Namibia in January 2016.
Bushiri, in several news interviews, categorically refuted the published extreme pricing claims
for "so-called gala dinners", calling them "fabricated."
On Friday 01 February 2019, Bushiri was arrested together with his wife, Mary Bushiri, by South
Africa’s Directorate for Priority Investigations, HAWKS, for fraud and money laundering.
The Hawks said that, 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, which had been committed from 2015.
The contravention of the Act was in relation to Exchange Control Regulations relating to
foreign currency of $1,147,200.
At the time of creating this video, Shepherd Bushiri and his wife had spent about 48 hours
in security custody, to appear in court on Monday 04 February 2019.
Shepherd Bushiri enjoys football and chess.
He is married to Mary Bushiri, an accountant, who previously held a senior managerial position
for an international development NGO.
The Bushiris have two daughters, Israella Bushiri and Raphaella Bushiri.
Dear viewer, as indicated earlier, please do well to make you own informed and objective
opinion about Shepherd Bushiri.
And you should understand, in your own way, the reasons why he is both popular and controversial.
Please do not allow anyone to influence you on this matter.
Thanks for watching.
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