The pastor whose church has likely bought the landmark Good Hope Centre in Cape Town charges congregants up to R10,000 to become “partners” in his ministry.
For this, Nigerian pastor Ikechukwu John Anosike offers access to prophetic declarations, prayer sessions, and even a personal voice note from the man of God himself.
The paid partnership programme of Spirit Revelation Ecclesia has come under scrutiny after Anosike announced he was the winning bidder for Cape Town’s historic Good Hope Centre, with an offer of R135m.
The 49-year-old building, in the sought-after Foreshore area, was one of 53 properties the City of Cape Town recently placed on auction as part of a plan to dispose of underutilised municipal assets. The city says it is conducting a “post-auction audit of all submissions” and will “make a final decision” once this is completed.
Anosike, whose South African ID number shows him to be 45 years old, appears to make a substantial income from preaching, with several high-value properties in Constantia listed as his residences. He has reportedly been ministering in South Africa for about 16 years and operates a church in Maitland.
The charismatic preacher, who claims to raise babies from the dead, encourages congregants to “move with the rhythm of heaven” and has a penchant for military fatigues. He presides over energetic services in which congregants frequently collapse in religious seizures.
He calls himself “the bondservant of Christ” and describes his ministry as a “government, not a nonprofit organisation”, where mandatory tithes are considered “taxes”.
A YouTube video posted by the church this week, titled “Pastor John Anosike finally responds to the Good Hope saga”, outlines plans to “identify the first land, hundreds of acres, to establish the prototype for the city of sons” later this year.
According to the church’s website, the partnership scheme is divided into three tiers:
- tier 1 partners contribute R1,000-R10,000;
- tier 2 R100-R500; and
- tier 3 R10-R50.
The church also encourages congregants to make additional donations through a “salary vow”, which it says “uplifts the hand of the man of God”, allowing him to focus on ministry without financial burden.
In Cape Town it is unique of its kind, and it was designed by a nationally acclaimed architect. In terms of the living heritage of South African buildings, it is important
— Cameron Peters, heritage specialist
Members are further encouraged to contribute to a Good Hope Building Vow, referencing the same Good Hope Centre where the ministry says it hosted its first Spirit Revelation Conference in 2013.
A media enquiry sent to Anosike went unanswered.
Heritage specialist Cameron Peters said charismatic churches were often exploitative and should not qualify as preferred bids. Instead, he said, the building should serve more sustainable community-building purposes, whether private or public. He described the Good Hope Centre as an architecturally significant structure and an important part of Cape Town’s cultural landscape.
“In Cape Town it is unique of its kind, and it was designed by a nationally acclaimed architect. In terms of the living heritage of South African buildings, it is important,” Peters said.
He said the venue was a rare example of late 20th-century architecture whose distinctive curves and structural design should be preserved. “The structure and the space of the building will have to remain intact. The interior could change, but the architectural form, the curves and structural elements typical of brutalist design, must be protected.”
Peters pointed to past redevelopment disputes as a warning. He cited the former Union Castle Building at the V&A Waterfront, now housing Marble Restaurant, where work was temporarily halted.
“There was a freeze after a few months because the developers had not gone through the proper heritage consultation processes,” he said. “I think there was deep confusion, or at least questionable misunderstandings, between the developers and the Waterfront about what rights they had to redevelop or re-emerge the building, given that the property is both semi-private and semi-public.”
The city is currently undertaking its standard post-auction audit of all submissions. Bid values cannot be confirmed at this stage, as all submissions remain subject to the post-auction audit and verification process
— James Vos, Cape Town economic growth MMC
Any redevelopment of the Good Hope Centre would also require approval from Heritage Western Cape, the city and other regulatory bodies, Peters said.
Meanwhile, Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said the city had not yet confirmed a successful bidder.
“The city is currently undertaking its standard post-auction audit of all submissions. Bid values cannot be confirmed at this stage, as all submissions remain subject to the post-auction audit and verification process,” he said.
“This information cannot be shared publicly during the audit and adjudication stages. Only once the process has concluded and council has made a final decision will the outcome be made public.”
Vos added that the city could not yet disclose how many bids had been received for the Good Hope Centre.
The post-auction review includes verifying bidder identities, assessing compliance with auction terms, conducting financial due diligence, and ensuring submissions align with statutory requirements and conditions of sale.
Even the highest bid could be rejected if documentation is incomplete, the bidder lacks authority, statutory requirements are not met, or the offer falls below market value, Vos said.
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