Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, have been ordered to return to South Africa to face serious criminal charges. The court’s decision comes in the wake of a long-standing legal saga surrounding the couple, who fled South Africa in 2020 after being granted bail on multiple charges, including rape and financial crimes. They skipped that bail.
While some charges, such as theft, money laundering, and racketeering, were dropped due to insufficient evidence, the Bushiris are still facing a formidable list of allegations. Prophet Bushiri is charged with three counts of rape, along with forgery, fraud, and jumping bail. Mary Bushiri faces charges related to fraud, forgery, and bail-jumping.
According to South Africa’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007, the potential sentence for the rape charges that Bushiri is facing is severe. The minimum mandatory sentence for rape can range from 15 years for a first offense to as much as 25 years for a third or subsequent offense.
Following the ruling, the court ordered that the Bushiris remain in custody until they can be handed over to South African authorities. Their lawyer, Wapona Kita, requested the court to pause the extradition order and grant bail for the couple. In response, state prosecutor Dzikondianthu Malunda suggested that if bail were to be granted, it should come with stringent conditions, including substantial monetary guarantees and commitments from sureties.
The court took a brief recess to deliberate on the submissions presented by both the prosecution and defense teams.
Meanwhile, the ruling has been met with positive reactions from the South African government, which hailed it as a crucial step in their ongoing legal pursuit of the Bushiris. “This decision reaffirms judicial independence, international cooperation, and public trust in the South African and Malawian legal institutions,” the SA government stated.
Despite the court’s ruling, the Bushiris have indicated their intention to appeal, a development that South Africa has pledged to contest vigorously. Should the appeal fail, the transfer process will be handled by INTERPOL and South African authorities, with the state assuming all associated costs.
