One person was killed and another suffered horrendous injuries on Monday morning after four security guards assaulted them for allegedly stealing from Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) founder Prophet Bushiri’s Midrand church.
Police have arrested two of the security guards while a search for the other two who are reportedly on the run is currently underway.
According to iHarare, the guards who are employed by Donza Security-a company hired by ECG to guard its property in Midrand-assaulted the pair after suspecting that they were thieves.
After the attack, one of the alleged robbers, who is currently receiving treatment in hospital, dragged himself to the police station where he reported the case.
Confirming the incident, provincial police spokesman Captain Kay Makhubele said,
‘He reported he was walking with his friend on the R55 in Midrand when they were attacked by the security guards. He led the police to the scene of the crime where the body of his friend was recovered. The two men were allegedly accused by four security guards of stealing from Bushiri’s church.’
In a press statement, ECG confirmed that it has been made aware of the tragic incident.
‘We were alerted by the security company, as their client, that two robbers had been caught around that area in Oliven/R55, and that the community had mobbed the suspected PERPS. The security company told us, as their client, that they had engaged the police, and would supply us with further details,’ reads the statement.
The church urged the police to conduct an honest investigation to establish the facts and deliver justice.
‘We also encourage them to desist from making potentially libellous claims about the church or its members before concluding any investigation, as we will certainly approach the courts and sue – the days of us being bullied and defamed were left behind in 2019. We would like to add that, should the police find that the private security players acted improperly, we will terminate our contract with the company and find new players to protect the premises,’ said the church.
