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By Goitsemang Tlhabye 
51m ago
Pretoria – South Africa’s National Tax Authority said it would submit a request in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act for an arrest warrant for fugitives Shepherd and Mary Bushiri.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjane said they would also request the cancellation of the bond for the Illuminated Christian Gathering royalty awarded by the Pretoria Magistrates Court on November 4.
The government also dismissed speculation that the South African-based Malawian couple left the country aboard a flight carried by Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation.
Phumla Williams, the Government’s Director General for Information and Communications Systems, said Chakwera made a successful working visit to South Africa on Friday, during which South Africa and Malawi discussed a wide range of initiatives to strengthen relations between governments and peoples. of the two countries. .
“Following the visit, President Chakwera and his delegation departed from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria and stopped at OR Tambo International Airport to pick up an additional number of officials who had previously traveled to South Africa to prepare for the work visit.
“Immigration officials from the Department of Home Affairs verified the identity of all the passengers and Mr. and Mrs. Bushiri were not on the flight.
“When travelers are processed for departure, they must appear before an immigration officer who, among other controls, verifies that the passport belongs to the traveler,” Williams said.
To ensure that the two fugitives would face justice, South Africa had initiated a process to secure their extradition from Malawi in terms of the SADC Extradition Protocol and other legal instruments, to which Malawi was a signatory, he said. While this process was underway, law enforcement agencies would continue investigations into this matter, he said.
It emerged on Saturday morning that the self-proclaimed Pretoria prophet, with a large following across the continent, and his wife had fled to their home country last Wednesday, citing security concerns.
This was despite the fact that their bail conditions prohibited them from traveling outside the country, pending the outcome of their fraud case.
The couple, along with three co-defendants, face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering, which allegedly took place between 2017 and 2019, amounting to more than R106 million.
Bushiri, in a statement, said they were in Malawi temporarily due to security problems dating back to 2015, which had worsened since their release on bail.
He said they were witnesses to his recent arrests and detentions. The couple felt that the only way to clear their names before the law was by making sure their lives were preserved.
Bushiri said there were clear and obvious attempts to have his family killed despite several attempts by them to report the matter to the South African authorities.
“Our arrival in Malawi is a tactical retreat from South Africa whose sole objective is to preserve our lives. While we are here, we were arrested in 2019 on charges of alleged money laundering and are reaching three years without trial. “
While they waited for the matter to proceed, they were again arrested and held in custody for more than two weeks. “In this context, we have come to the painful conclusion that what we have faced in South Africa since 2015 is pure persecution and not prosecution. Obviously, there can never be independence and impartiality ”.
Bushiri indicated that they would be willing to return to South Africa if the government complies with their requests. The couple have asked that their safety be guaranteed; For him
Declare not to revoke your bond and that the investigative team agents withdraw from the matter. The reason cited was because, as Bushiri indicated, the agents were from the same team against which he had filed a complaint with the Investigations Directorate of the Independent Police (Ipid) before the series of arrests began. Ipid confirmed the complaint, but said Bushiri had not cooperated.
Following their arrest, the Bushiris were ordered to hand over all their travel documents to the authorities, along with Midstream’s property deed worth R.5.5 million.
Hawks spokesman Colonel Katlego Mogale said Bushiri and his wife were required to report to a police station as part of their bail conditions every Monday and Friday. “He did not show up at the police station.”
Using his Prophetic Channel, Bushiri told his followers that they had not evaded the trial. “I am not escaping from the trial in South Africa. If I wanted to escape, I would not have come to Malawi or announced where I am. “
Political Bureau
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