By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
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South Africa’s security agencies are investigating credible claims that fugitive self-proclaimed preacher Shepherd Bushiri and his wife has been in the country several times since his dramatic escape.
According to a report in the City Press on Sunday, Bushiri has been making fools of South Africa’s law enforcement agencies, by visiting South Africa multiple times in recent months. The paper’s sources claim the most recent of these visits was in April.
They also allege that Bushiri managed to evade arrest by simply breezing past a number of Hawks officials in an Uber, while they staked out the gate of a security estate in Fourways, Johannesburg, and failed to check all exiting vehicles.
The paper further claims that State Security Agency (SSA) officials failed to act on a tip-off regarding Bushiri’s whereabouts in the country, as they believed the source was “trying to make a quick buck”.
On Sunday afternoon, Hawks spokesperson Philani Nkwalase said that “It is common cause that he is currently in his country of birth.”
He said the Hawks are in the process of bringing Bushiri back to stand trial for his alleged crimes, and there are “notable developments on that process”.
He would not, however, respond to questions surrounding Bushiri’s alleged visits to the country, while nearly all of the country’s border security, SSA, and other agencies were on the lookout for him.
The couple fled South Africa in November while on bail for various crimes, including fraud and money-laundering, which caused a diplomatic rift between Lilongwe and Pretoria after Bushiri timed his escape to coincide with newly elected Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera’s visit to South Africa.
The Enlightened Christian Gathering Church leaders were arrested in South Africa but, after being granted bail fled to Malawi claiming they were not safe in South Africa.
As part of their bail, they were only allowed to travel within Gauteng and North West until the case was finalised. The couple owns a hotel in Rustenburg in North West.
They handed themselves to the police in Malawi after a warrant of arrest was issued by Interpol.
Lilongwe Magistrate Viva Nyimba released them unconditionally stating that their arrest in Malawi, was unlawful because there was no formal request from South Africa.
He ruled that the couple could only be summoned to court and not arrested.
Pretoria has since formally requested Lilongwe to send back the couple to stand trial on charges of theft, fraud, forgery, failing to comply with bail conditions in South Africa.