Johannesburg – South Africa's Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has moved to reassure the public that fugitive Shepherd Bushiri and his wife will face justice, despite concerns that the couple may attempt another escape. This follows a ruling in Malawi that the couple has a case to answer and could be extradited to South Africa to face charges of fraud, money laundering, and rape.
The Bushiris infamously fled South Africa to Malawi in November 2020, after being granted R200,000 bail. Their escape sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the security measures in place to prevent such incidents.
However, Bushiri’s legal team has indicated that they will appeal the ruling at a high court in Malawi, potentially delaying the extradition process further.
According to the Malawian Ministry of Justice, “The defence… has requested that the magistrate’s court allow the Bushiris to remain on bail until they receive directions from the high court. They further applied for a 30-day stay order on the ruling, which the court granted.”
The magistrate’s court clarified that it does not have the jurisdiction to grant bail to fugitives, and therefore, a decision on the Bushiris’ bail will be determined by the high court. This means that, for now, “the Bushiris will remain on bail,” as the defence is “expected to apply for bail during the stay order, as directed by the magistrate’s court.”
This situation has raised fears that the couple may use this opportunity to flee Malawi, potentially making their apprehension even more difficult.
Speaking on eNCA on Thursday, Justice Minister Kubayi addressed these concerns, stating that she is confident that the Bushiris will be caught if they attempt to escape again.
“If [the Bushiris] do, then they are on the Interpol. So if they move to another country, we’ll go and look for them and bring them back,” Kubayi asserted.
Kubayi also confirmed that Bushiri’s appeal will be strongly opposed.
“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the [Malawi] prosecutor are working together because the law requires them to work,” she said, emphasising the collaborative effort to ensure the Bushiris are brought to justice.
South Africa has recent experience with extradition cases, including ongoing efforts to bring the Gupta family back to the country to face corruption charges. The Gupta family, like the Bushiris, fled South Africa to avoid prosecution, highlighting the challenges involved in extraditing fugitives from other countries.
According to Kubayi, the NPA has assured her that they are still actively working to bring the Gupta family back to South Africa.
“At the right time we’ll communicate, like we’re communicating now with the Bushiri matter. We don’t want to communicate things that are still in process and compromise the work,” the minister explained, urging patience and understanding while the extradition process unfolds.
Kubayi acknowledged that it would be “unrealistic” to provide a specific timeline for when the Gupta family will be returned to the country.
”It’s not a matter that is within my control. It’s work that we can commit [to and] that we will not abandon the case,” she affirmed, reiterating the government's commitment to pursuing justice, regardless of the complexities and challenges involved.
