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Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, appear in court for a bond hearing.
Frennie Shivambu, Gallo Images
- Church leader Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary are in South Africa illegally, according to Home Minister of Foreign Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi.
- Parentsays Bushiri registered businesses when she only had a visitor visa.
- The Bushiris are accused of fraud and money laundering.
The leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG), Shepherd Bushiri, and his wife Mary are in South Africa illegally, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Monday.
In an interview with SAfm’s Bongi Gwala, Motsoaledi said the couple first entered South Africa on September 6, 2009 at the Beitbridge border post and were issued visitor visas.
“We do not stop people from visiting our country. Visitor visas have a time frame: you can stay 90 or 30 days … because you are a visitor,” Motsoaledi said.
However, while Bushiri was in South Africa in 2014, 2015 and 2016, he registered companies with the Business and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), even more emerged.
Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his co-defendant in a R102 million fraud and money laundering case will spend a few more nights in custody after their formal bail requests were transferred to court. | @CannyMaphanga https://t.co/KqEMpcjVpa
– News24 (@ News24) October 26, 2020
“This is not allowed in terms of [conditions of] the visitor visa.
“In 2012, Mary Bushiri entered South Africa through the OR Tambo International Airport, [where] submitted a fraudulent permanent residence permit, which was issued on February 1, 1997, “Motsoaledi said.
“Now if you came to South Africa for the first time on September 6, 2009, how can you already have a permanent residence since 1997?
“But then, on May 17, 2016, both Shepherd Bushiri and his wife applied for permanent residence. Remember, his wife already showed us a permanent residence permit dated February 1997.”
READ | Two Senior Internal Affairs Officials Involved in Delivering Suspended Bushiris Residency Notices
Motsoaledi said that when they applied, the Bushiri testified under oath that they entered the country for the first time in 2015.
Since then, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has suspended the Interior Department’s permanent residence notice against Bushiri and his wife until they testify at their criminal trial, City Press reported.
According to a ruling by Judge Brenda Neukircher on October 20, the notification will have to wait until Bushiri and his wife have filed charges of fraud and money laundering worth R102 million, and of violation of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act. . .
READ | ‘We won’t be back without our Major 1,’ chant supporters as Bushiri and his wife remain in custody
On October 21, the couple appeared before the Pretoria Court of First Instance charged with fraud and money laundering.
Motsoaledi told SAfm that the discrepancies in the couple’s visa applications were first discovered when they were investigated for the aforementioned charges.
Notices ‘mysteriously removed’
The minister said that two notices to the Bushiris to explain details in their applications for permanent residence had been “mysteriously withdrawn by our own Internal Affairs officials.” The most recent was sent in August of this year.
“I say ‘mysteriously’ because I still don’t understand why these notices were removed.”
A third notice was issued on March 26, 2019. This notice was finally overturned by a court on August 2, 2020, which also declared it irrational, illegal and invalid, News24 previously reported.
READ ALSO | Court suspends permanent residence notice against Bushiri
Motsoaledi said his department would appeal that decision.
When asked if his department officials had been involved in irregularities related to the Bushiri documents, Motsoaledi said: “Absolutely, absolutely.”
On Sunday, News24 reported that two senior Internal Affairs officials involved in serving the Bushiris with notices from the department had been suspended.
– Compiled by Riaan Grobler
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