Bushiri’s hotel staff left hungry after not being paid

Pastor Shepherd Bushiri’s walls of Jericho are starting to tumble and staff at his hotel in Rustenburg have not been paid for three months, according to sources.

A source, who requested anonymity, said: “We are not surviving, some of the workers catch mopane worms to add to their food at night.”

Bushiri’s lawyer, Terrance Baloyi, did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.

Bushiri, owner of the Sparkling Waters Hotel and Spa, and his wife Mary skipped the country this month after their release on bail. They and three others stand accused of theft, fraud and money laundering involving over R100 million.

Five warrants of arrest have been issued for Bushiri.

The hotel employees, some of whom have been working there for 10 to 20 years, do not know when they will be paid again.

The source said two weeks ago they were called to a meeting with a shareholder who said he was taking over as Bushiri had not repaid a loan to him involving the hotel. But he would not pay the salaries due to staff.

Another source said 53 employees had approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration in Rustenburg.

None of the hotels’ phone numbers were answered yesterday.

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