Prophet Bushiri and wife granted bail in Malawi as South Africa seeks their extradition

By Mark Ogagan

Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary are currently not in custody, after the couple registered that they would appeal the court ruling on Wednesday which declared that the pair has to face prosecution in South Africa.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the ruling by the Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Malawi, which ordered that self-proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, be extradited to South Africa.

At the time of their flight, the Bushiris, along with three others, faced a R102 million fraud and money laundering case – among other charges, including rape directed at the charismatic preacher. The Bushiris had appeared before different South African courts in 2020.

On Thursday, the Attorney General in Malawi, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda told South African media that the Bushiris got bail after the court ruling on Wednesday, and the matter would be heard in the high court of Malawi, as the couple fights tooth and nail to avoid being extradited to South Africa.

“I understand the bail has already been granted. What it entails is that the process can still move to the high court but in terms of the reports that I got yesterday (Wednesday) is that Mr Bushiri is no longer incarcerated, he is out on bail,” said the attorney general of Malawi.

“He was able to conduct his (church) services after the court appearance. What that entails is that is bail pending appeal. It is not something that is unusual in the sense that prophet Shepherd Bushiri still remains innocent under our constitution. He remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He will remain on bail until the appeal process is finalised in the high court.

“The high court will decide whether the bail should be revoked or not,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cabinet in South Africa has welcomed the court ruling against the Bushiri couple.

“This ruling shows that no-one can run away from the rule of law, and also reaffirms the judicial independence, international cooperation, and mutual trust between the South African and Malawian legal institutions,” said Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni in Cape Town.

“We are aware that the Bushiris have indicated their intention to appeal, however we are confident that we have a strong case against them.

“South Africa stands ready to collaborate with Interpol to coordinate the transfer arrangements and logistics to ensure that they are brought to South Africa to stand trial,” said while addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing.

When the Bushiri escaped South Africa in 2020, the couple had been granted bail pending trial in Gauteng. The popular couple then flouted their bail conditions in South Africa and fled to Malawi under unknown circumstances.

After much speculation around the couple’s whereabouts, they later emerged in their home country of Malawi, where they have continued with their church services, attracting crowds from countries including South Africa.

After it became apparent that the Bushiris had fled to Malawi, the South African government submitted an extradition request to Lilongwe, seeking an extradition of the couple to face charges including, rape, violating bail conditions, contraventions of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, Banking Act, Civil Aviation Act, and Immigration Act.