Malawi’s President absolved from Bushiris’ SA escape
Chakwera’s presidential jet denied taking off for 7 hours President Chakwera maintains silence
SADC Chairperson and Malawian President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera intimated to Botswana Guardian Wednesday in a telephone interview that he had no hand in the escape of the Bushiris from South Africa to Malawi.
Self- proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of ECG Church and his wife, Mary who are facing criminal charges and are out on bail, fled South Africa last week, the same week when Chakwera and his entourage had a working visit in SA.
The Bushiris’ escape caused a row between law enforcement agencies leading to Chakwera’s presidential aircraft being held for at least seven ( 7) hours while they allegedly searched it before allowing it could take off from the military airbase in Pretoria. Only then was Chakwera permitted to land at OR Tambo International airport where he had made prior arrangements to pick his advance entourage.
The failure by the Bushiris to report to the nearest police every Friday, as per their bail conditions, led to many accusing Chakwera of having aided them to bail. Speaking to Botswana Guardian on Wednesday, President Chakwera said he will prefer not to comment. Instead he sent two official statements from the South Africa government clearing him of any wrong doing to this publication.
The statement headlined “SOUTH AFRICA EMBARKS ON BUSHIRI EXTRADITION PROCESS” issued by Government Communication and Information System reads: ‘ Government is able to confirm that fugitives Mr Shepherd Bushiri and Ms Mary Bushiri did not leave South Africa aboard a flight on which President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation travelled. ‘ President Chakwera undertook a successful working visit to South Africa on Friday, 13 November 2020, during which South Africa and Malawi discussed a broad range of initiatives to strengthen relations between the 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 over at OR Tambo International Airport to collect an additional number of officials who had travelled to South Africa earlier to prepare for the working visit.
‘ Department of Home Affairs immigration officials verified the identities of all passengers and Mr and Ms Bushiri were not on the flight. ‘ When travellers are processed for departure, they are required to present themselves to an immigration officer who, among other things checks, verifies that the passport belongs to the traveller. ‘ To ensure that the two fugitives face justice, South Africa has initiated a process to secure their extradition from Malawi in terms of the Southern African Development Community ( SADC) Protocol on Extradition and other legal instruments, to which Malawi is a signatory.
‘ While this process is underway, law- enforcement agencies will continue investigations into this matter’. Another statement from the same department titled “IPID CONFIRMS THAT BUSHIRI OPENED CORRUPTION CASE AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS” says the Independent Police Investigative Directorate ( IPID) confirms that in 2018, a case of alleged police corruption/ cash extortion was opened by Bushiri’s lawyer on his behalf in Sunnyside, Pretoria. ‘ It is alleged that the police officers investigating several allegations of rape against Mr Bushiri were trying to extort money from Bushiri so that they make his rape charges disappear.
‘ Mr Bushiri, through his lawyer reported the alleged police corruption to IPID, as part of the investigation process, IPID required Bushiri to provide crucial information about the allegations and to acquire witness statements but Mr Bushiri’s non availability due to his busy schedule has been giving IPID investigators a challenge to proceed with this case. ‘ As such, his poor co- operation, busy schedule and non availability has ( sic) stalled the investigation process as crucial information required to proceed with the investigation process is not forthcoming from him as the victim in this matter. ‘ Mr Bushiri has been provided with feedback on the matter, he is well aware that the investigator will proceed with his case as soon as he co- operates fully with investigation process’.
Reports from Malawi indicate that the Bushiri's handed themselves to the Malawian Police on Wednesday. A widely circulated media statement from the Public Relations Office of the Malawi Police Service issued by senior Superintendent James Kadadzera says the Malawian Police arrested Bushiri and wife Mary. This is a response to the warrant of arrest issued by Interpol Pretoria on November 16, 2020. The two are on trial in South Africa where they absconded their bail conditions. Police launched a manhunt yesterday to arrest the couple. However, Bushiri and his wife handed themselves over to the police at Area 30 Wednesday 18, November 2020 when they got wind of their arrest. Bushiri and his wife will make recorded statements and then taken before a competent court of law in accordance with the prescription of the law.