ECG leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri faces corruption claims as permits and visas were allegedly sold via syndicates of officials and outsiders.
According to IOL, this follows the South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation into the Department of Home Affairs where it has that the country’s immigration system has been treated as a marketplace.
SIU head Leonard Lekgetho said: “The Special Investigating Unit has uncovered a disturbing reality: South Africa’s immigration system has been treated as a marketplace, where permits and visas were sold to the highest bidder.”
Lekgetho said integrity officers turned their posts into profit and outsiders exploited flaws for fraudulent residence permits.
Bushiri’s Permanent Residence Permit was granted by an adjudicator from his church, a clear conflict of interest.
The application used a fraudulent “financial independence” letter signed by a paid-for accountant. Investigations show USD 1.2 million cash from his non-profit at Lanseria Airport as proof of aircraft purchase, prompting money-laundering and misused religious donations concerns.
He said Bushiri chaired 14 companies and owned Pretoria properties.
“Our investigators found that ‘religious donations were converted into bricks, mortar, and corporate shares,’” Lekgetho said
The investigation was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024. An interim report has been submitted to the President and the findings were made public during Monday’s press conference.
