[ad_1]
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima reportedly gave money to help with the funeral expenses of the daughter of self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary Bushiri.
This was according to Bushiri’s spokesman, Ephraim Nyondo, who told News24 on Thursday afternoon: “I can confirm.”
ALSO READ: Bushiri blames Kenyan authorities for her daughter’s death
Chakwera supposedly gave 1.2 million kwacha (around R 22,000), while Chilima supposedly gave 1 million kwacha (around R 18,400).
Eight-year-old Israella died in a Kenyan hospital Monday morning.
His remains landed at Kamuzu International Airport on Wednesday, followed by a memorial service to celebrate his life at the BICC Auditorium in Lilongwe, Malawi.
News24 understands that Israella was buried on Thursday.
Bushiri, leader of the Gathering Illuminated Christian Church (ECG), said it was “very heartbreaking and sad, therefore, that his daughter has become a victim of the persecutions we face from South Africa.”
He shared these sentiments on Monday during a speech on his social media platforms, where he announced the death of his daughter.
When asked for a comment, Malawi’s presidential press secretary, Brian Banda, neither confirmed nor denied the matter. The president has no comment to make on any matter related to the death of a child. Out of respect for his grieving parents and their privacy, His Excellency has chosen not to speak on the matter, ”Banda told News24.
The Bushiris are involved in a court case in South Africa for alleged fraud and money laundering totaling R102 million.
However, they fled South Africa to their home country, Malawi, just days after the Pretoria Magistrates Court granted them a bond of 200,000 rand each.
The Bushiri escaped from South Africa last year around the same time that the Malawian president was in the country for a visit to speak with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
News24 previously reported that the departure of Chakwera and his wife Monica from South Africa was delayed for six hours.
At the time, the overlap of the Bushiris’ escape and Chakwera’s trip to Pretoria sparked speculation that the Malawian leader, or at least his delegation, had helped the self-proclaimed prophet and his wife flee.
But the South African government said the following Sunday that the Bushiri had not left the country aboard the flight on which Chakwera and his delegation were traveling.
The Hawks are still investigating the matter.
READ NEXT: Bushiri’s daughter ‘has been fighting a lung infection in the ICU’
For more news your way, download The Citizen app to ios and Android.
[ad_2]
