Is Bushiri a false prophet, con artist, or downright crook?

Perhaps the self-proclaimed prophet in shiny shoes should lead by example and practise what he preaches instead of leading the blind to no man’s land while he not only laughs all the way to the bank, but mocks the South African justice system.

Forget about Keeping up with the Kardashians and try keeping up with the Bushiri bunch.

In October, I was sent to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to cover a case of fraud. Never did I anticipate what I saw or what awaited me.

“Bushiri who? Can you eat it?” I asked the editor.

I remember Googling the names of the alleged fraudsters as I battled my way through the sea of thousands of churchgoers who met
outside the court to support Papa Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mama Mary from Malawi.

The supporters were either dressed in shirts with the prophet’s name and face printed on them, or in church outfits with matching shoes and a hat.

By the looks of some of them, one could have mistaken the court proceedings with a red carpet event, with attendees stepping out in style
and dressed to express from head to toe.

READ MORE: Bushiris’ formal extradition hearing set to begin in March

Outside the court, followers chanted religious songs as they danced up and down the cordoned-off section of the street under the watchful eye of the police.

The supporters could easily give some of our political parties a run for their money with regards to their numbers, but also their enthusiastic protesting.

Inside the courtroom, the mood was the opposite – serious and quiet.

Not long after his arrest, Bushiri’s spokesperson promised the magistrate the pastor would cooperate with the law but he instead pulled a Houdini act on us and made a great escape.

From the moment he set foot in Malawi, Bushiri has given South Africa the middle finger as he goes about business as usual, documenting
everything on his social media pages, with more than four million followers across the world.

The pastor who stands at the altar every Sunday seems to live a life of double standards as he preaches the 10 commandments to his followers, but lives by his own rules.

The devil’s advocate inside of me has questions, lots of them.

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Is the fashionable fugitive getting away with murder with the Bible under his arm while running from the law for crimes ranging from the alleged rape, fraud and money laundering, while being idolised by his followers?

Is Bushiri a false prophet, con artist, or downright crook?

Designer shoes, clothing brands and shady investments – all contributed to the luxurious and lavish lifestyle of Bushiri.

But his path is paved with lies, alleged corruption and bribery. The truth is he is laughing all the way to the bank.

To date, no one can answer how one of the most fashionable foreigners can disappear from the spotlight like mist in the wind?

The question however remains: will Bushiri actually be extradited back to the country to face the music, or will we file away his fraud case
along with that of the Guptas?

Only time will tell, or catch it on his Facebook status update.

READ NEXT: Cop ‘received R500K from Bushiri Ministries to make husband’s rape charge go away’

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