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BOTSWANA: Botswana shuts 'miracle' pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church

Botswana has shut down the church of a controversial Malawian self-styled prophet, who claimed to walk on air.
The government confirmed the closure of Shepherd Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG) in Gaborone, reportedly due to concerns over so-called "miracle money".
Malawi24 reports that the church has appealed against the decision, taken less than a year after he was in effect banned from entering the country.
He had been due to attend a conference.
However, Botswana minister Edwin Batshu announced in April 2017 that Mr Bushiri - who now lives in South Africa - would need a visa to enter, despite Malawians not usually needing one, according to AllAfrica.com.

Who is Shepherd Bushiri?

  • Malawi-born "prophet" who now runs churches from Ghana to South Africa
  • Claims to have cured people of HIV and brought people back from the dead, South Africa's Mail & Guardian says
  • Predicted the UK would split, "states" would fight and it would descend into "chaos", the Maravi Post said in a report
  • Appeared to walk on air in a video shared widely on social media
  • Told Zimbabwe politician Kembo Mohadi he would get "the crown" before he was named vice-president, according to New Zimbabwe
Presentational grey line
The government has now announced that the church will be shut for good, with the Botswana Gazette obtaining a letter informing management the "registration" had been cancelled.
The newspaper further reports it was the church's use of "miracle money" - promises of money appearing as if by magic - which broke the country's laws.
Mr Bushiri - who has more than 2.3 million likes on Facebook and filled Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on New Year's Eve - and his church have yet to respond publicly.
The church leader is known as much for his lavish lifestyle as for his successful ministry, which stretches across Africa.

Source: BBC 

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