Self-proclaimed Prophet Bushiri Flees SA Justice Despite Bail Restrictions
Monday | November 16, 2020
Recent cases in South Africa show a few known high-profile fugitives. Now the list is building up. The latest fugitive is the self-styled Prophet Bushiri who cast away the religious mantra that one need not harbour fear when in the midst of God. He skipped the country leaving police, the prosecuting authority and the court stunned. The public wonders how he pulled this evasion from law enforcement agencies off and answers are being asked across the spectrum.
On Saturday, the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG) leader Shepherd Bushiri, as he is publicly known in SA, took to social media in Malawi to announce his brazen escape with his wife, Mary, from South Africa where he faces overwhelming court charges. He claimed safety and unfair prosecution as his chief reasons for smuggling himself out of the country back to Malawi, his home country.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) strongest case before the Pretoria Central Magistrate court was, among others, arguing against granting Bushiri bail citing that he was a “flight risk”.
Magistrate Thandi Theledi was not swayed. She said the NPA could not substantiate its case with compelling evidence. The Bushiri’s were granted a R200, 000 bail each and their movements confined to Gauteng and North West. Thus, they were not supposed to travel out of the country. These were understood at the time as strict conditions.
With their escape from authorities, their bail has been revoked. They also forteited their bail amount placed and their property automatically among others.
As it turned out, the Bushiris violated them and fled South Africa in the face of high-level court charges. There are four co-accused people, including his wife, involved in the fraud, theft and money-laundering charges related to a whopping “R102 million” investment scandal.
In his trail of escape, he has left authorities flushed and basic questions are being asked far wide in the country. A dark cloud hangs over how he got away notwithstanding the prohibitive conditions set out on the bail judgement. This man [Bushiri] should not have been granted bail, Minister Police Bheki Cele said in an interview with eNCA.
Accordingly, the South African government thought its spokesperson Phumla Williams confirmed on Monday that a warrant of arrest for the Bushiri couple is among the plans underway in relation to their evasion.
Fugitive’s escape
Bushiri’s criminal escape coincided with a brief visit by the President of Malawi Lazarus Chakwera to South Africa. He met the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa. And vamoosed. The visit sparked outrage from as high in the government ranks as the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni who stopped short (on Twitter) of implying a well-coordinated run by Bushiri away from SA legal processes.
To this end, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola assured the country over the weekend that Malawi is a signatory to extradition treaty that binds to handover fugitives to countries where they need to answer in court. The Minister confirmed that extradition treaty will be evoked when a need arises.
Talking on television Saturday afternoon, the emboldened and relieved Bushiri repeatedly said he will engage the Malawi government to play a mediation role between him and South Africa, fueling speculation that his slip out of SA may have been assisted by the Malawian government.
This is beyond bizarre.
There is little doubt that Bushiri has left an egg on SA security cluster’s faces. And yes, his escape may set off a diplomatic row between the two countries.
Certainly, any form of normalcy on this botched first, and second, breached bail judgement can be restored through extradition for Bushiri to defend himself in the courts of the land where he allegedly fleeced vulnerable and largely illiterate masses in South Africa. Of huge concern, he manipulated his pliable congregants while masquerading as a man of God. Sickening desperation yet ruthless underhand exploits.
Among his bail conditions was to check-in on Mondays and Fridays. As it happened, on Friday the 14th of November, he absconded and did not show up, sparking a frantic Bushiri hunt. The following day he popped up in Malawi through social media communication, determined as a free pastor could ever be.
In his escape away from the South African justice system, he has forsaken his susceptible blind flock of religious devotees.
The story of the famed scandal-ridden Prophet has crystalised claims that he is nothing but a fraudster of note.
Bushiri is not new to controversy. In December 2018, three revellers were left dead in what was reported to be a stampede in Pretoria Show Grounds where he usually held his mysterious church services.
According to The Times, “[t]hree women were killed and nine other people injured during a stampede at Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s church in Pretoria on Friday night.” Few days later, he hosted a religious mega event New Year’s Eve event to fleece the unsuspecting and illiterate masses. And that’s how this cult has been surviving in a foreign land, disregarding its laws in every turn and tricking desperate people.
There has been a burgeoning number of churches run by shady characters posturing as pastors in SA. Very little has been done to tighten the noose to eradicate this quackery. There is just not tight enough to squeeze out these charlatans out of society.
The toothless Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) is just a burdensome body that has starkly failed the citizens of this country. Its officials are just not visible enough and cut out to flush out these Bible-bearing scoundrels but there to collect a cheque come pay day.
Facing rape and human trafficking charges among others, Timothy Omotoso was also denied bail recently in Port Elizabeth High Court on the same grounds of being flight risk. Omotoso is a pastor from Nigeria. Another charlatan. Relying on evidence emanating from his court case, EWN reported that “Omotoso has been declared a prohibited person and could be deported if released from custody”. This was his third shot at a bail attempt, the source furnished. It is fair to state that the prosecuting authority in that case managed to place concrete evidence before the court.