Bushiri Extradition: No Witnesses Required to Travel to Malawi for Trial, Correctional Department Clarifies

• South African witnesses will not have to travel to Malawi to testify in the extradition hearing of Shepherd Bushiri
• The correctional services department clarified that only State and law enforcement officials would have to travel to Malawi for the hearing
• Bushiri and his wife skipped the country in 2020 after being released on bail for a fraud and money laundering case

JOHANNESBURG - The Justice and Correctional Services Department has cleared the air over a ruling made by the Malawi High Court regarding Shepherd Bushiri's extradition to South Africa.

The ruling caused a stir when it was "misinterpreted" and led South Africans to believe that witnesses in the self-proclaimed prophet's trial would have to travel to Malawi to testify.

According to TimesLIVE, The department has clarified that the East African country's high court has only ordered state and law enforcement officials to testify in the extradition hearing.

Read also

Sassa fraud: 10 people arrested and appear in court for defrauding agency of R1.8 million

The judgment states that only arresting officers and investigators must be physically present in a Malawian court for the hearing.

Why is the Correctional Services Department trying to get Shepard Bushiri extradited to South Africa?

Bushiri, whose real name is Chipiliro Gama, has been charged with money laundering and fraud along with his wife, Mary.

The charges stem from a multimillion-rand investment scheme the leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church ran while he was in South Africa.

Bushiri was initially arrested when he was charged but fled the country with his family when the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court released him on R200,000 bail in 2020.

The South African correctional services department has welcomed the Malawian High Courts ruling and indicated that it is ready to comply with the judgement, SowetanLIVE reported.

Read also

Bushiri extradition: South African witnesses ordered to travel to Malawi to testify in case

Mzansi expressed concern after local peeps boarded a bus to see Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi for church service

In another story, Briefly News reported that images of a group of people onboard a bus believed to be headed to Malawi were circulating on social media.

The images were also shared by Twitter user @Babwa_Sis which show the people in their numbers, armed with their luggage, getting on a long-distance bus. The post was captioned:

“Our people need serious help .”

Source: Briefly News