‘He was preaching online’: Dirco clarifies Shepherd Bushiri’s Polokwane service

The department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) has clarified that self-proclaimed “prophet” Shepherd Bushiri was preaching online and not in South Africa on Sunday.

This comes after Bushiri's church, the ECG Jesus Nation Church in Polokwane, announced he would join the Sunday service, sparking concern about how he managed to enter the country without being detained.

Bushiri and his wife Mary are wanted in connection with a fraud and money laundering case involving R102m. The couple fled to Malawi in November 2020 days after being granted bail of R200,000 each under strict conditions by the Pretoria Central magistrate's court.

“The dude was 'preaching' online, not physically in South Africa. He's a fugitive. He won't dare come here,” Dirco's head of public diplomacy Clayson Monyela said on X.

This raised questions about the department's efforts to bring Bushiri back to South Africa to face trial.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba expressed concern about the department's handling of the situation.

“Have you stopped attempts to bring him back? It doesn't make sense for South Africa to allow such a dangerous criminal to preach, openly, via online. You are surely compromising and making a mockery of our criminal justice system,” Mashaba said.

In August last year, the justice department announced it would proceed with an extradition application for Bushiri and his wife from Malawi.

“We are committed to fulfilling our treaty and extradition obligations to ensure justice is served in all relevant cases,” former justice minister Thembi Simelane said.

“These cases have faced several challenges, but we remain steadfast in our pursuit of accountability. Our teams are working diligently through diplomatic and legal channels to bring these matters to a resolution.”

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