Pretoria - At least 40 people were injured during a stampede when they attempted to gain entry to the Enlightened Christian Gathering church service at the Tshwane Events Centre on Sunday morning.
The church is run by Prophet Shepherd Bushiri from Malawi, famed for his controversial claim of having levitated and walked on air.
Security guards manning the gate at the venue formerly known as the Pretoria Showgrounds described the mad rush which happened at about 8am as chaotic.
“There was a huge crowd of people here. They usually get here as early 5am so they can be the first ones into the main hall where Bushiri conducts his services,” Sipho Thwala told the Pretoria News.
He said he was unsure as to what got the crowd excited, but they grew impatient and started pushing each other.
“It was chaotic. People at the back started pushing, pressing those in the front against the gate. When the gate opened, the ones in front fell and the others ran over them. We tried to calm them down, but they wouldn’t listen,” Thwala said.
He said thousands of people from across the country and neighbouring countries flocked to the church service every Friday, Sunday and Monday.
Bushiri’s church uses two halls, as well as one of the grounds for services. He gives his sermons in the main hall, while screens are put up in the secondary hall and for the crowd in the grounds.
The church’s headquarters is in Malawi, but it has branches in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia and Ethiopia. Thando Khuzwayo, from Mpumalanga, said: “I came from far and wanted to see the prophet.”
She was present when the stampede happened, but was not injured.
ER24 spokeswoman Chitra Bodasing said people sustained various injuries.
“A woman, believed to be in her 60s, was found with severe pelvic injuries.
“She was in a serious condition and rushed to hospital. “A man in his late 30s had severe knee injures and was also rushed to a nearby to hospital,” Bodasing said.
She said 13 other people were taken to hospitals for injuries ranging from minor to moderate.
The rest refused to be transported to hospital and indicated they wanted to attend the church service.
Pretoria News