Shepherd Bushiri may have greater reasons to fear extradition to South Africa after the police revealed in a statement that the self-proclaimed prophet is wanted for rape.
Talks ongoing on Bushiri’s extradition
Bushiri has been the subject of an international relations debacle between two sovereign nations. In South Africa, ministers Aaron Motsoaledi and Dirco head Naledi Pandor have faced gruelling questions on the government’s complicity in Bushiri’s daring escape.
The Malawian justice system, seemingly opposed to South Africa’s request of the fugitive handover, ordered the release of the pastor who had handed himself over to Lilongwe authorities a week ago.
Talks of his extradition may have quietened. However, as far as we believe, Dirco is working with the South African police in ongoing negotiations with the Malawian government.
Fugitive pastor hit with three rape charges
The money laundering and fraud charge Bushiri faces are almost dwarfed by the three fresh arrest warrants that were issued against him last week Friday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale confirmed in a statement that “three more warrants of arrests have been issued.”
“The warrants were issued on Friday, 20 November 2020. At the time of their disappearance, Bushiri was still under investigation for three separate cases of rape reported by members of his church,” Col Mogale noted.
If Bushiri’s decision to flee the country was, in part, motivated by his knowledge of three impending rape charges, is not known.
Where is Bushiri hiding?
Alas, investigators leading the three separate cases have gathered enough evidence to contest the charge in a court of law.
The self-proclaimed prophet has not issued a statement denying the fresh charges. In fact, it appears he may have deleted his Twitter account which he recently used to comment on the controversy surrounding him.
At the time of publishing this article, Bushiri’s whereabouts were still not known.