Bushiri in his office with Floyd Shivambu
* The secretary general undertook this visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the Party
* The Umkhonto weSwizwe Party upholds the rule of law and maintains a zero-tolerance stance on criminality in all its forms
* As Justice Minister describes Shivambu’s visit to Bushiri as disrespect towards South Africa’s legal system
By Duncan Mlanjira
South Africa’s Umkhonto weSwizwe Party has distanced itself from its secretary general Floyd Shivambu’s visit to Malawi to attend Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church service while Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development has described it “as a blatant act of disrespect towards South Africa’s legal system”.
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A picture of the two in Bushiri’s office is highly circulating on social media and Umkhonto weSwizwe makes it “unequivocally clear that the visit was not sanctioned, endorsed or initiated by the leadership or any structure of the MK Party”.
“The secretary general undertook this visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the Party,” says a statement by the Party’s National spokesperson, Nhalamulo Ndhlela.
Bushiri and his wife Mary are wanted in South Africa to face trial over some criminal charges, which they escaped from by secretly returning to Malawi and his host country wants him to be repatriated back.
The repatriation process is currently in court in Malawi which ruled that Bushiri should be sent back to South Africa, but the Bushiri’s successfully applied for bail pending an appeal to the ruling.
The Umkhonto weSwizwe Party thus emphasises that it “upholds the rule of law and maintains a zero-tolerance stance on criminality in all its forms”.
“When in an unprecedented case, President Zumba was sent to prison without trial under Roman-Dutch Law, he did not flee from Justice but was incarcerated and served his time, even though it was a miscarriage of Justice and a violation of his human rights.
“We remain firmly opposed to any association with individuals who are fugitives from justice. Our values are rooted in integrity, Justice and accountability, and we reject any actions that compromise the reputation and ethical standing of our movement.
“Furthermore, the MK Party strongly condemns all forms of gender-based violence and the exploitation of vulnerable communities, especially innocent Christian believers, by individuals who manipulate faith for personal enrichment or to evade justice.
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“Our Party stands with the victims of such exploitation and will never align itself with those who use religion as a shield to defraud, abuse or mislead the public.
“We reiterate our commitment to ethical leadership and the principle of justice and we call on all members and representatives of the MP Party to act in a manner that reflects the highest standards of responsibility and accountability.”
According to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi — was reacting to a widely circulated video on social media in which Shivambu is praising Bushiri for the work that he does economically, educationally and socially to uplift people.
SABC quotes the Minister’s spokesperson, Terrence Manase as saying Kubayi cautioned that such behavior by a political leader not only undermines the credibility of the judiciary but also diminished the weight of the charges against Bushiri, “while simultaneously sending a dangerous message to the public and to victims of crime.
“The Minister says Shivambu’s actions erode public trust in the justice system and embolden those who believe they can escape accountability. She also says no one regardless of their status or position is above the law,” Manase is quoted as saying.
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Just last week, North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granted National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) permission to sell Bushiri’s private jet, valued at R50 million, a ruling that Bushiri condemned asking the NPA to reconsider it.
The court gave NPA the green light to sell Bushiri’s luxury Bombardier Challenger 604 jet which was impounded by the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, and held at Lanseria Airport since Bushiris fled South Africa in 2020.
According to Malawi24, quoting South African media reports, the NPA alleges that the aircraft was acquired using illicit funds, which is a central claim in their investigation that led to Bushiri being arrested and the seizure allows the NPA to sell to use the proceeds to support ongoing asset recovery efforts linked to Bushiri’s alleged financial crimes.
However, writing on his Facebook page, Bushiri claims the NPA’s decision is unjust, citing that the allegations against him were previously dismissed in Malawi courts.
Bushiri maintained that the case involves a forex platform introduced to his church by two individuals who disappeared with church members’ funds, saying he reimbursed the victims using his resources, totalling over 70 million Rands.
“The NPA’s justification for this action is to recover funds allegedly lost due to crimes I committed, which they claim will be used to compensate victims,” Bushiri wrote on Facebook.
“However, I must remind the NPA and the public of the events that transpired in the Malawi courts. The same allegations brought before the Malawi courts were dismissed as ‘mere accusations,’ and the case was removed from the court list.”
Bushiri raised concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the South African justice system, particularly in cases involving foreigners — alleging that the NPA is pursuing him instead of addressing the real culprits.
Bushiri also accuses South African police officers of extortion and corruption, claiming they demanded 12 million Rands from him under the threat of creating an arrest.
He added that he presented evidence of this to various authorities, including the South African Rights Commission and president of the Hawks — thus urging the NPA to reconsider its decision and take into account the facts presented.
“The sale of my private jet is not only unjust but also seems to be a clear case of persecution,” he said. “I hope that a thorough review of this matter will be conducted, and justice will be served.”—Content on the private jet by Malawi24.com
