Shepherd Bushiri has allegedly defrauded scores of his followers out of millions of rands
through a failed “commodity investment opportunity”.
The said investment amounted to nothing but scam, or fraudulent scheme.
Emails and other documents obtained by City Press, show that investors were promised a
50% return within 30 banking days of placing their investments of between 100,000 rand
and 1 million rand.
According to three investors that City Press spoke to last week, it all began when, during
a church service in March 2017, Bushiri allegedly announced that he wanted to empower members
of his church, and “make them millionaires”.
A follow-up emails sent to some selected congregants, with the subject line, “commodity investment
opportunity is open – minimum is 100,000 rand” began with the words: “I hear good
news ... HURRY!!
It’s first come-first-serve.”
Congregants were told they had just two days, to get in on a hot investment opportunity,
and were promised the impossible 50% return.
The email continued: “For example, when you invest 100,000 rand, you will receive
150,000 rand pay back after 30 banking days.
Come with cash, not cards, to Hall A, from 10am to 4pm, on Wednesday 29 March 2017 and
Thursday 30 March 2017.”
Those who couldn’t bring cash were told to SMS a number for “Bushiri-Buzz” to
get the banking details.
Duped and defrauded investors told City Press, that the hall was packed to the brim, with
people on those two days, as congregants, handed over piles of cash.
But those who could not deliver the cash were told to deposit their money into the account
of a company called Rising Estates, the directors of which are well-known Bushiri lieutenants,
Willah Mudolo, Duncan Oduor Otieno, and Kit Ching Catherine Kum.
One of the congregants, who heeded Bushiri’s call from the pulpit, was Sylvia Skosana,
who invested 100,000 rand, which she had borrowed for the purpose.
“When he spoke about it in church, everyone believed him.
He was very convincing, and I saw this as an opportunity not to be missed.
I took a loan, and I deposited the money into the bank account,” she said.
“According to Skosana, who lives in Pretoria, scores of other congregants also made deposits.
There were two groups, those who invested 100,000 rand and above, and those who invested
1 million rand and above,” she said.
“I took a personal loan to invest, and I know of people who went as far as selling
their houses, hoping to replace them when they received the returns.
We have still not received the promised harvest.”
Skosana, who works as a transport analyst, and who has since stopped attending Bushiri’s
Enlightened Christian Gathering Church, said she felt betrayed.
It has now been a year, since the big promises were made, and they have yet to receive a
cent from the church.
“We have called, sent emails, and SMSed the numbers they provided during the investment,
but no one is responding.
I went to their offices in Sandton, but they referred me to the church,” Skosana said.
“At the church, no one knows who is responsible for handling our issues.
They just act as if nothing has happened, and this makes me sick.
I am still repaying the loan, and the interest, and I know many people who are going through
the same problem.”
Another investor, Francinah Ntuli, told City Press last week that she also lost 100,000
rand of her savings when she handed it over in cash to Bushiri’s people, after being
told her “money would multiply”.
“We were called to a meeting last month, at Bushiri’s hotel in Rustenburg, but no
one was able to say when we will get pay-outs or even refunds.
They keep on lying to us,” she said.
In hind-sight, she cannot believe she was so naive, and keeps asking herself why she
didn’t question the investment more thoroughly.
Another would-be investor, who asked that his name be withheld, because his relatives
are still staunch members of Bushiri’s church, said he was lucky that he could not raise
the 1 million rand within the two-day period Bushiri prescribed.
Under pressure from his parents, he planned to cash in some of his investments, including
a pension plan, to invest in Bushiri’s scheme, but he couldn’t get the money in time.
“I almost lost my investment.
I told them I could not raise 1 million rand within two days, because I had to cancel some
of my investments, and divert the funds to the church.
The promised returns were supposed to be so good, and my parents were putting pressure
on me to invest,” he said.
“I thank God that I did not invest there.
I know people who lost their hard-earned money there.
My parents still go to that church, and I do not want to be seen to be despising it.
You know, when it comes to religion, people are very sensitive, and it looks like they
have been brainwashed.”
In one email sent to the disappointed investors, Bushiri’s team sympathised with those who
had lost money.
“We truly understand your disappointment, and appreciate the inconvenience the delay
in your harvest has caused you to date,” reads the email.
“There is no question that we have not met the very high standards you have come to expect,
and should continue to demand from us, and in our effort to settle all partners who opted
to receive their harvest, we sent out communication based on information that all the funds will
be released.”
The email further stated that they did not have all the money available, as they were
waiting for more money to be cleared.
Bushiri’s assets, including his private jet, and a number of luxury vehicles, were
taken by the Asset Forfeiture Unit, after he was arrested alongside his wife, Mary Bushiri,
earlier this month on charges of fraud and money-laundering.
Many have speculated about how Bushiri, who celebrated his 36th birthday last week, managed
to amass his wealth in such a short period of time.
Despite their complaints, the investors have received no money back.
Skosana told City Press, that she had been sent from pillar to post, when she asked for
a refund.
“I believed he was a man of God, and that he would never do this to us,” she said.
When contacted on Thursday, Bushiri’s spokesperson initially denied the allegations.
Please check the description box below for the links to the sources of this report.
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