THE widow of a Crystal Park, Benoni, preacher who was shot dead in front of his congregation has accused emergency services of failing her husband.

Methodist Church preacher John Njiva, 54, was shot on Sunday while preaching at a house in Willow Park.

His wife yesterday described how she tried to save him.

Njiva said she used her husband's cellphone to call the ambulance and police at about 11.30am, but they came more than two hours later.

"If they responded quickly my husband would still be alive," said Njiva.

"I placed a Bible on his chest and called on God not to forsake him. I prayed and called his name asking him not to leave me," said Mavis Njiva.

"Two men in suits came in while my husband was preaching and just shot him. I did not see what happened afterwards because I ran and hid in one of the bedrooms," said Njiva.

After the shooting, she went back to check on her husband.

"He was still breathing though he was not talking," she said.

Njiva said the men who killed her husband had earlier stopped them and asked for jumper cables for a car.

"We told them that we did not have any and continued on our journey. I recognised them when they came to the house in Willow park."

The preacher's twin brother Joseph, said his brother was a kind person and did not have enemies.

"My brother was very generous, whenever I had problems I would always go to him."

Simangele Sikhosana, who lives in the house where the preacher was killed, said the men who killed him had earlier parked their car near her home and walked around the house.

She said after a while the men came into the house and were offered chairs to sit. "We thought they were attending the service."

Kempton Park police spokesperson Constable Moses Ratsatsi said the men fled in a silver Toyota Cressida.

"Police are investigating," he said.