Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering-Jesus Nation yesterday said his immigration status in South Africa was legally processed contrary to suggestions by that country’s Special Investigating Unit that it was fraudulent.
Reacting to an SIU investigation update on immigration status of Bushiri and several others, he described the unit as “irrational”, insisting that his application for immigration status was made through the South Africa (SA) Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The SIU has alleged that Bushiri, who is entangled in an extradition case with South Africa over his exit from that country in 2020, used his influence and church networks to forge documents.
But Bushiri said he had already invested about 90 million South African rand (about K9.8 billion) by the time he had applied, adding that when the permits were approved, he was formally contacted by the embassy in Malawi to collect them.
He said: “My documents were submitted in Malawi, long before we came to SA permanently and not through any church member in SA.
“Our applications were lawfully approved under SA law, which grants immigration status to individuals who make a substantial investment in the country—over R10 million [about K1 billion.]”
Bushiri queried the timing of the release of the findings when he and his wife, Mary, were arrested and charged “for these so-called immigration offences six years ago”.
Briefing the media on Monday, SIU acting head Leonard Lekgetho faulted officials in the Department of Home Affairs for masterminding the scheme, saying that country’s immigration system had become a market for trading permits and visas.
“Officials… turned their positions into profit-making schemes while external actors, including Bushiri, Kudakwashe Mpofu and Nigerian rapper Prince Daniel Obioma, exploited influence, fabricated documentation and manipulated systemic weaknesses to secure fraudulent residence permits,” reads in part the statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the probe.
In November 2025, South Africa said it was studying the judgement of the High Court of Malawi that overturned a magistrate’s court decision ordering the extradition of Bushiri and his wife to answer charges that include rape, forgery, fraud and jumping bail following their dramatic escape from that country in 2020.
