SA's wealthiest church leaders face the courts

Two of South Africa's wealthiest preachers were at a court in Pretoria on Monday: Shepherd Bushiri was due in the dock on fraud and money laundering allegations, while Pastor Paseka "Mboro" Motsoeneng arrived to observe the legalities entangling his former nemesis.

Mboro was a standout arrival at court, wearing a white suit with matching white shoes and tie, offset by a dark shirt.

Bushiri's supporters were also at court, in their hundreds.

Motsoeneng, speaking outside the court, told the Bushiri supporters that they needed to respect the police.

He added: "The name that matters is His name. Your Father will always be your Father."

Mboro said the family had urged all supporters to attend a church meeting on Monday evening.

Mboro and Bushiri only recently put their differences aside.

The two charismatic church heavyweights, who had been publicly crucifying each other and often skewered each other in their sermons over five years, made up last year.

Bushiri pledged Mboro R1m as a gift for his birthday, which Mboro said was destined for charity.

On Monday, Bushiri and his wife Mary were scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court on charges related to  fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), following their arrest on Friday. 

Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said the crimes were alleged to have been committed from 2015 in relation to exchange control regulations related to $1,147,200 in foreign currency.

He said the couple run several business enterprises in South Africa and abroad.

While media were not allowed inside court to listen to proceedings, it is understood that the case will return to court on Wednesday.