Bushiri saga has much in common with that of Guptas

SELF-proclaimed Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri must be having a chuckle at the incompetence of the South African state.

This after he and his wife skipped bail and escaped to their native Malawi, leaving behind embarrassed officials in their adopted country.

Bushiri, 37, who has been operating the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church in Pretoria for several years, was arrested on October 20, along with his wife and several others, for fraud, corruption and money laundering to the tune of R102 million.

The miracle pastor, who once claimed to be walking on air, has left everyone wondering how he made his way out of South Africa.

On Saturday, he posted a message on his Facebook page, confirming that he and his wife had gone on the lam.

What was more infuriating was the list of five demands he set for his return to South Africa.

The last time we witnessed such sheer arrogance was from the Guptas.

Bushiri, with his political connections and the wealth he has amassed, must have felt as powerful as those gangsters from Saharanpur.

Appearing in Parliament, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed that between them the Bushiris had 10 passports – all issued in Malawi. He denied that the couple had escaped through Lesotho, as had been suggested.

The Bushiris have once again exposed the failings of South Africa’s immigration system.

Motsoaledi had to concede that the couple had irregularly acquired their residence permits and should not have been able to open businesses in South Africa.

Their acquisition of residence permits is eerily similar to that of the extended Gupta family.

There’s no doubt that Bushiri, like the Guptas, had for years used his proximity to politicians to keep law enforcement at bay.

For this reason, we can’t dismiss Bushiri when he states that he fears for his safety, because his trial will in all likelihood reveal the politicians whose palms he had to grease to continue his alleged illegal operations in South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa might respond with anger to the fiasco, but what South Africans demand is real action.