Mbombela (Nelspruit) – Armed robbers pounced at a church vigil and stripped congregants of their valuables including cellphones, cash, and bank cards.
Ten congregants from the Enlightened Christian Gathering in KaMhlushwa, outside Mbombela, were robbed at gunpoint on Saturday night.
The Enlightened Christian Gathering is led by fugitive self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri also known as “Major 1”, who skipped bail and fled from South Africa to his home country Malawi.
Bushiri and his wife, Mary, are accused of fraud involving more than 100 million rand.
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Narrating events leading to the robbery on Saturday, SA Police Service (SAPS) Mpumalanga Spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said three armed men burst into the church.
Brigadier Mohlala said the robbers, whose faces were covered, demanded valuables from the congregants.
The robbers stole 14 cellphones, an undisclosed amount in cash, and bank cards – including those belonging to the church.
Before the robbers drove off in a VW Polo owned by one of the church members, they demanded pin numbers for the bank cards.
The stolen car was later found abandoned in Mzinti, about seven km from the church.
“The provincial SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela has already gathered a team of investigators to work on the case,” Brigadier Mohlala said.
“The general says Mpumalanga police will never allow criminals to walk free and promised to get those behind the robbery behind bars.”
