By Rahim Abdul
Shepherd Bushiri has said property seized in South Africa does not belong to him personally but to the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church.
Bushiri made the remarks on his official Facebook page while commenting on a court decision allowing South African authorities to sell some of the church’s property.
The case involves property and buildings used by ECG as a church in Rustenburg, South Africa, which were ordered to be seized and liquidated following a court ruling in February 2024.
The disputed property is valued at about R4.9 million, equivalent to approximately MK519 million.
The assets are registered under Prophet Shepherd Bushiri Ministries NPC (PSBM), an organisation established to oversee some of the properties associated with ECG.
Bushiri, however, maintains that the registration under PSBM does not mean the property belongs to him personally.
He says the assets are owned by ECG and have been used to support the church’s activities in Rustenburg.
The South African court ordered PSBM to be liquidated after the organisation failed to settle its outstanding debts.
The liquidation process allows the organisation’s assets to be sold to raise funds for repaying creditors.
Bushiri and ECG opposed the decision, arguing that the properties belong to the church and that alternative arrangements could be made to settle the debts.
Despite the development, Bushiri says he is not discouraged and that ECG in Rustenburg has already identified another piece of land which it intends to purchase.
He said the new property would provide the congregation with another place where members can continue worshipping.
The development comes as the legal dispute over PSBM’s assets continues, with Bushiri maintaining that the disputed properties should not be treated as his personal possessions but as assets of the ECG church.
