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Prophet Pastor Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Church. (Veli Nhlapo, Gallo Images, archive)
- Internal Affairs suspended two top officials involved in serving Shepherd Bushiri and his wife with permanent residency notices.
- While his suspensions were for unrelated matters, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he reportedly raised questions about his involvement in the Bushiri affair.
- The last notice for the leader of the Enlightened Christian Meeting and his wife was suspended by a court until they testified in his criminal trial.
Two senior Internal Affairs officials involved in serving Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary with department notices have been suspended.
According to Internal Affairs spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza, the officials were suspended for unrelated irregularities.
However, Internal Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this had raised questions about his involvement in the Bushiri affair, eNCA reported.
On Wednesday, October 21, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria suspended the department’s notice until after the Bushiri pleaded guilty in their criminal trial.
READ | Court suspends permanent residence notice against Bushiri
The couple faced charges of fraud and money laundering worth R102 million, and for contravening the Law on Prevention of Organized Crime.
“The prophet Shepard Bushiri and his wife entered South Africa for the first time on September 6, 2009,” Motsoaledi said at a news conference broadcast by eNCA.
Motsoaledi said they were issued visitor visas, however, while Bushiri was in South Africa in 2014, 2015 and 2016, he registered companies with the Business and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
He said this was against immigration laws and what was allowed with a visitor visa.
“That is already a chargeable crime.”
“In 2012, Mary Bushiri entered South Africa through the OR Tambo International Airport, [where] she submitted a permanent resident visa which she claimed was granted on February 1, 1997, “Motsoaledi added.
Notices withdrawn
Following their release on bail in another matter last year, the Bushiris received a notification from an Internal Affairs official on February 6, 2019, calling them for an interview, according to court documents.
This notice was subsequently withdrawn and on February 15, 2019, the official issued a second notice which was also subsequently withdrawn.
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.
The last notification was delivered to Bushiri and his wife on August 3, 2020, based on evidence from two Internal Affairs officials.
“The gist of the evidence is that they hold that the applicant’s applications for permanent residence status were captured and granted by DHA. [Department of Home Affairs] officials in terms of an incorrect section of the law that occurred as a result of certain commissions or omissions on the part of the applicant and his wife. All of this appears to be related to the charges before the criminal court, “Superior Court Judge Brenda Neukircher said in a ruling that suspended the notice.
