Musician Peter Sambo has challenged Prophet Shepherd Bushiri to move their growing legal dispute from the United Kingdom to South Africa, escalating an already tense public fallout between the two.
The dispute took a fresh turn after Bushiri announced on Facebook that he had allegedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Sambo at the High Court in London. Bushiri claimed he was seeking £50,000 in damages over what he described as false and defamatory statements published by the singer.
“What we are asking the High Court in London is simple: whether Mr Sambo can pay a fine of £50,000 for defamation. If he fails to pay, under the Attachment of Earnings Act 1971, the court can order that this amount be deducted from his salary until the debt is paid. If this is the case, I will gladly accept that fine,” Bushiri said.
However, Sambo appeared unfazed by the threat of legal action in the UK. In a sharp response posted on Facebook, he challenged Bushiri to shift the battle to South Africa.
“We will move this case to a South African court. Let’s talk there,” responded Sambo.
Sambo’s response has drawn attention to the latest chapter in his feud with the ECG church leader, which has played out publicly over the past week.
The fallout reportedly began after Bushiri told a radio station that he fired Sambo for poor performance, a statement that triggered a wave of frustration and criticism from the singer.
In his Facebook post, Bushiri said the UK court action would require Sambo to pay a fine of £50,000 if found liable for defamation. He further claimed that if Sambo failed to pay, the money could be deducted from his salary under UK law.
Bushiri also said he had instructed his lawyers in the UK to push for the rejection of Sambo’s visa extension application. In the same statement, he called for a review of the bail granted to Robert Chisambiro and others, accusing them of spreading false and defamatory information about him on Facebook.
Bushiri defended his actions by saying that although he is a minister, he is also a citizen with rights who should not be subjected to insults, rumors, and reputational damage.
