Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has exploded in a no-holds-barred tirade against South Africa’s outspoken political scholar and former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) darling, Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi — and let’s just say, things got nuclear.
The row was sparked after Ndlozi, during a fiery public lecture on “People Over Politics” at the University of Malawi’s Great Hall yesterday in Zomba city, threw some heavily loaded shade — questioning the source of immense wealth among Africa’s elite. Without naming names, but in a way that left zero room for confusion, Ndlozi suggested that Bushiri, who fled South Africa facing charges of money laundering, ought to return to answer some questions there.
Ndlozi drew comparisons to tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates — innovators who, he argued, built their empires on the back of groundbreaking inventions. Then came the zinger — an unmistakable jab at Bushiri, implying his riches didn’t quite pass the sniff test of innovation or legitimacy.
But Bushiri? Oh, he wasn’t having any of it.
In a blistering Facebook rebuttal that practically scorched screens, the controversial preacher blasted Ndlozi as a “jealous, low-rated politician with xenophobic tendencies.”
“I was astonished to hear that Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi attended a public lecture in Malawi and asked, ‘Why am I rich?’” Bushiri fumed. “Seriously, why? How did I even come into your public political lecture? Can’t these jealous, poorly rated politicians like him, with xenophobic tendencies, leave me alone at once?”
And then the gloves truly came off:
“You can’t bully me in South Africa and expect to do the same here at home. You can’t advise Malawians to ask me questions about my wealth — they’re not naive. Is this the reason you betrayed your brother, Julius Malema? Next time, focus on politics.”
The Prophet didn’t stop there — he named receipts. Bushiri went on to tout his business empire: hotels built in South Africa with loans from financial institutions that “trusted his standing,” a mobile network venture that raked in revenue, a successful energy drink brand that dominated markets, and even an aviation business.
“This past year alone, I created over 5,000 jobs at my farms and the Goshen City project,” Bushiri said, defiantly thumping his chest. “And what about you in South Africa?”
In perhaps the most dramatic turn, Bushiri also alleged surviving five assassination attempts in South Africa, drawing a parallel between his own suffering and the plight of many Malawians who’ve endured violence and loss.
“God protected me from bullets on five separate occasions. Today he’s asking how I got rich?”
What was meant to be an intellectual lecture on political ethics has now turned into a firestorm between two of Southern Africa’s most polarizing figures — and neither is backing down.
Stay tuned. This one’s only just getting started.
