Worshippers at a South African church run by controversial Malawian preacher Shepherd Bushiri were robbed during an overnight vigil at the weekend.

Members of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) in South Africa’s north-eastern region of Mpumalanga told police that three robbers armed with handguns raided the church, while they waited for other worshippers to join them.

The robbers made away with several of the congregants' items, including 14 cell phones, cash and bank cards.

They also stole a white car belonging to one of the members, but abandoned it 7km (four miles) away.

Police said the robbers demanded the pin numbers for the churchgoers bank cards before making their escape.

Mpulamanga’s head of police said that the forces had begun investigations into the incident.