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- Controversial pastor Shepherd Bushiri says if he had escaped trial he would never have announced where he was.
- The self-proclaimed prophet spoke for the first time on Saturday night following reports that he was in Malawi, contravening the conditions of his bail in a fraud and corruption case against him in South Africa.
- He claims that he does not feel safe in South Africa and has made a number of demands before considering returning to the country.
The controversial self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church, Shepherd Bushiri, has spoken out after fleeing South Africa to his homeland of Malawi.
Speaking on his church’s social media platforms Saturday night, Bushiri said he was not fleeing any lawsuits he faced, but instead left to seek intervention from the Malawi government because he did not feel safe in South Africa.
Bushiri and his wife, Mary, are indicted along with three others and face charges of fraud and money laundering in the amount of R102 million.
Recently, the Pretoria Central Magistrates Court granted the couple bail of 200,000 rand, News24 reported.
On Saturday, South Africa awoke to the news that the duo had left the country, confusing many as to how and why they had left, in contravention of their bail conditions.
The Hawks were also investigating after the couple failed to show up to the police station on Friday as part of their bail conditions.
In a rant of more than 20 minutes Saturday night, Bushiri said that if he fled any trial, he would never have issued a statement announcing that he was in Malawi.
Bushiri said that his wealth and property in South Africa were still intact and that he had not sold anything or transferred money, showing that he was not running away from anything.
He said he arrived in Malawi on Wednesday and had not yet contacted the government because at the time he arrived, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera was leaving for South Africa.
READ | Bushiri and his wife flee South Africa to Malawi, breaking bail conditions
Bushiri said he was in his home country because he was a citizen seeking government intervention. He said he needed guarantees for his safety from the South African government.
Bushiri added that his life had been in danger on many occasions and, as a result, he opened a case after he was nearly shot.
He said that he had also opened cases against investigating officers who had arrested him and that nothing had happened to them, so he felt there was a conflict of interest.
He said he believed he would not get a fair trial if the same people he had opened the cases against, before he was arrested, were also involved in the case.
Bushiri said:
In February of this year, I was almost shot in Sandton at a gas station. I opened a case in SA, there are pictures, I think the Sandton police are aware of this case. Until today nothing has been done. I feel like my life is not safe in South Africa. So many times I’ve had assassination attempts. I feel like my life and my wife’s are not safe. I would not want to die if my name is not clean. This is the reason why I decided to come to Malawi.
Bushiri said he was asking the South African government to institute independent investigators.
He said he would meet formally with the government of Malawi to assist him and engage with the government of South Africa regarding his safety.
Bushiri alleged that one of the investigating officers investigating his immigration problems was also arrested on charges related to corruption.
He said he felt there was revenge against him, which resulted in the cases against him.
He also claimed that he had been extorted.
Bushiri said:
I have also instructed my lawyers that on Monday they must make an urgent request in the South African courts for my bond not to be revoked as I have come here only to seek the intervention of the Malawian government to consider these already that will lead to a fair trial.
Bushiri added that although he had submitted to law enforcement in South Africa, he would do the same in Malawi on Monday. He said that he would inform the authorities of his country of his presence.
He said he would provide the Malawi authorities with his current address when they wanted to contact him.
He said that while he would like the trial to conclude, he did not believe it would be fair for the issues he raised not to be addressed.
“I am calling for justice in my trial. I believe in the South African legal system and I believe that the South African judicial system can appoint an independent group of investigative officers who are not involved because I opened cases against them before cases were opened against me. I believe and feel that I cannot have a fair trial. ”
Bushiri also expressed concern for officials dealing with his case.
He said:
Being a black person, being investigated by these five white cops, having about three white prosecutors and having a white judge, I don’t think I’m going to get a fair trial.
He also claimed that his permanent residence status was legally obtained and that he applied for it through the South African embassy in Malawi, adding that “desperate investigative officers” were trying to press for it to be revoked.
He also expressed concern about the statements made against him by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi.
“That is why I am in Malawi right now, to present my case and say, ‘Can the government of Malawi not allow its citizens to go through that kind of injustice?’ This is an injustice. And I am asking [the] The government of Malawi step in and make sure I have a fair trial in South Africa. “
I had to do this, I had to come to Malawi to do my address because as part of my bail conditions in South Africa, they said I shouldn’t say anything, I shouldn’t comment on anything, what does this say? Do I have my rights? We have human rights and one of [them] it is freedom of speech and expression. I cannot express my feelings about this case, because I should not say anything, as a condition of bail.
Bushiri also criticized the conditions of his bail, which included not being in contact with state witnesses, questioning who exactly they were, because, as a “public figure”, he interacted with many people: his driver, church leaders, neighbors, but he had no idea whether they were State witnesses or not.
“That’s why I had to leave the country, because I don’t know who is the witness of the State. How am I going to be in the country? And my pastors, maybe they are witnesses of the State? And the members of my church, I speak with people. I’m a public figure, I talk to everyone. For my safety, I’m in Malawi right now. ”
