Two men were arrested on Wednesday night for allegedly threatening the life of Methodist bishop Paul Verryn in Johannesburg.

Verryn allegedly received the first death threat from the men, both South Africans aged 26 and 31, on Monday. Verryn then filed a complaint with police.

Verryn said the men claimed to have been hired by the business owners around the church and that they were professional killers active in taxi violence.

Verryn has attracted both acclaim and criticism for using his church to provide accommodation to thousands of Zimbabwean migrants. People in government have accused him of creating a service crisis in downtown Johannesburg.

Local businesses have complained and even filed lawsuits against him. They say the presence of such large numbers of people has resulted in business losses.

In addition to blackmail, the bishop believes the threats could also be "seen as a thing where people want to get all opposition to xenophobia out of the way".