Bushiri rants against ‘fugitive’ tag: South Africa govt ‘puzzled’ over Malawi trip
Prophet Shepherd Bushiri is adamant that he’s not running away from his trial in South Africa but that he and his wife Mary bolted out of the rainbow nation to travel back home in Malawi to seek intervention from his home country.
South African government says it has commenced an extradition process for the two following their alleged escape.
In a statement, South Africa’s Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said Bushiri and his wife have to face justice in their fraud and money laundering crimes they are alleged to have committed.
The describes Bushiri and his wife as fugitives.
But Bushiri claimed he was not fleeing prosecution, arguing he had left South Africa in fear for his life as “there have been clear and evident attempts to have myself, my wife and my family killed”.
Bushiri told his supporters through Facebook in a live broadcast that he would be handing himself to the law enforcement agencies in Malawi on Monday.
“I have also instructed my lawyers that on Monday they should make an urgent application in the courts of South Africa that my bail must not be revoked because I’ve only come here to seek the intervention of the government of Malawi that they should consider these issues as they will lead to a fair trial,” he said.
There was speculation in South African media that Bushiri could have left the country on the jet of Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, who visited South Africa last week.
But South Africa’s Cabinet spokesperson, in a statement, cleared such speculations.
Chakwera’s plane was delayed as he was to depart from South Africa when authorities tried to verify identities of all passengers on board.
Malawi’s Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda saon Sunday also denied Chakwera had a hand in Bushiri’s return.
“Bushiri never travelled with the presidential entourage,” he said.
South Africa Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motoaledi has said the rest of government are still puzzled as to how the Bushiris managed to leave South Africa.
Motsoaledi said that without any register of the Bushiris leaving the country, the only explanation was that they crossed the border illegally.
The Sunday World newspaper of South Africa reported that the Enlighted Christian Gathering (ECG( Church leader escaped after catching a whiff of his third imminent arrest.
The paper reported that that the Pretoria High Court had reserved judgment on Friday after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) approached it to overturn the decision of the Pretoria magistrate’s court that prohibited it to force the duo to make representations within 30 days regarding their permanent residency in South Africa.
Bushiris’ lawyer, Ntsako Baloyi, confirmed in quotes reported by the paper that the Home Affairs appeal hearing was heard in the Pretoria High Court on Friday.
“I can confirm the case was heard on Friday, but I’m not prepared to discuss its merit at the moment,” he said. DHA spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza said “Bushiri rushed to Court to ask that he not be asked to respond to DHA until he appears in Court in May 2021 on a criminal charge of fraud, corruption and money laundering.”
South Africa’s Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said on Twitter the authorities “will find Bushiri” and hold him to account.
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This issue of escape. Whether chakwera will use the American tongue to defend himself but coincidence is far too much. Bushiri was assisted by Chalwra team to escape from South Africa. Kampondeni and Nkaka know something and Chakwra is to preserve his dignity he should remove these sell out s.
Let him be free here, even the police should not get involved in this case issue. South Africans are killers and he was indeed going to be shot, look, one of his pastors was shot dead last week. They have no respect for other nationals, look at have the disrespect our president. Their intelligence is bullshit, they were not supposed to be guessing . They should have depended on perfect information. So whether he was thieving should not be Malawi’s problem. After all how many Malawians have been killed there? So keep at least these two live souls.
What are you doing here then, FUGITIVE?
Now you can understand that our Government insists to built its embassy in Jerusalem. It wants to maximize the Israeli intelligent in trafficking law breakers in foreign countries in this manner. Remember 90 minutes at Entebbe and how Israel smuggled the Falashas (Ethiopin Israelis) in Addis Abba. The drama took less than one hour and by the time the Ethiopian Government came to know what was happening the Israeli was already airborne. Is this crookedness going to help Malawi? I think the South African Government was justified to delay the departure of the President from South Africa because they sensed… Read more »
Zikukhudzana chani Israel ndi Bushiri pano? kodi kusutaku sikwabwinodi eti?
If you know you know
Even when Kamuzu went to visit the apartheid government in South Africa, he wasn’t mistreated like this. They need to apologize and now give us something in return for Bushiri. Malawi Watsopano ndi ameneyu!
Breaking the law makes you forfeit some of your rights and freedoms. You dont protest by breaking more laws.
Think man. He won’t even be able to protest if he’s dead. South Africa has some real dangerous thugs. He needs to face the law but they need to provide the security and an apology for mistreating our leadership
Last time I checked he had bodyguards what was their job. Sometimes thinking u r too clever when you are not is not good. He shd face his music, he started it all. There are many malawians in SA why him only.
Unga fananitse kamuzu ndi umbuli ngati mr chakwera the guy who speaks american.
Kamuzu anali ndi vision ya kutali
This guy will spend years in only cleaning rubble.
Am not a fan of Bushiri in fact I was of the view that we should extradite him after they meet only his security demand… But after the way they mistreated our representatives without any explanation, keep Bushiri here. He’s not going anywhere. Zausilu timakana. Don’t take advantage of us just because ndife amphawi. It’s time for us to start producing our own stuff and stop importing from those xenophobic idiots
Mkaidi amakhala ndi mau? Bushiri panopa ndi Mkaidi basi
Fugitive
Arrogance of Bushiri that he should dictate terms when the Court previously Ordered. Bail should be revoked as he cannot be trusted or follow necessary channels to work with the court. Malawi is in a difficult situation should they arrest and jail him until the Extradition Hearings Finalized or place him under house arrest and force him to pay the cost of MPS to guard him should he be tempted to flee Malawi? No doubt he will spend months in a SA jail waiting for his trial to commence and be finalized.
What if the president plane’s delayed take-off was simply a diversion? What if Mr milk have something to do with the escape?
You don’t divert a stationary thing.
🙊🙊
3 + 4 = 7
Bushiri, Made in Heaven!