Floyd Shivambu faces backlash over Israeli flag at Bushiri's church.
Image: X
The deputy president of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Godrich Gardee, has added his voice to the growing voices of condemnation against his former ally Floyd Shivambu and the self-proclaimed fugitive pastor Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, branding the so-called Man of God as evil and a Man of Satan.
Shivambu drew the ire of many South Africans, including his own party, the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party, when he rubbed shoulders with Bushiri, who escaped and fled to Malawi in 2020 after securing bail in a rape, fraud and money laundering case.
Gardee succeeded Shivambu as deputy president of the EFF after he dumped the red berets for former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party.
In the latest towards Shivambu and Bushiri, an Israeli flag was seen behind Bushiri and with the context of South Africa's stance on the settler state's war and alleged genocide on Palestine, some have accused Shivambu of supporting the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
"The badge behind you tells how evil you are. Not only the money of innocent South Africans was enough for you. I remember meeting you down in the cells looking pathetic whilst getting one of your own bail. You ran away from the law, man of Satan pretending to be Man of God," said Gardee on X.
However, Shivambu has historically condemned Israel's attack on Hamas and Palestinians.
"Condemning Hamas is an act of cowardice and certainly when we take over political power in South Africa, we will openly associate with and protect its right to defend Palestinians. #HandsOffHamas," he posted in October of 2023 on the Elon Musk owned platform.
On the trip, Shivambu posted: "Thank you my brother, Prophet Bushiri for hosting us and for the kind words. The government scale amount of work you do to economically, educationally, socially and spiritually uplift our people is unparalleled now and in history.
"I know that the leadership and people of Malawi appreciate and cherish the so many massive programmes you do for the people on the ground. Continue doing the good work."
EFF MP Carl Niehaus made his disdain for the politician known.
"How much did that charlatan of a fake prophet, and fugitive of justice, pay you for this pathetically silly, over-the-top propaganda? Your love for money is well known. It is only lots of moola that can cloud your judgment this badly," said Niehaus of Shivambu.
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