Leader and founder of Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has said he is not shocked with the fresh arrest warrants issued against him by the South Africa government.
Yesterday, media houses in South Africa reported that the state has issued three fresh arrests warrants on Bushiri over rape charges. In undetailed report, the South African government is accusing Prophet Bushiri of raping three women who visited him at his church.
Reacting to the allegations leveled against him, the prosecuted man of God has said the reported warrants of arrests are part of what he called larger crusade to try and persecute his name in the media by a team of white police officer notably form the Hawks.
“For the record, it is trite law that when a warrant of arrest is issued, law enforcement agencies proceed to effect arrest; not leaking information to the media as my case has always been with these police officers,” Bushiri said in a press statement made available to Face of Malawi.
He further added that the allegations are being brought up by the same police officers he opened cases against in 2018 for corruption after they demanded money amounting to R10 million from him. According to Bushiri they made it clear that “failure to R10 million would result in immediate retaliation”
These are police officers that I opened extortion and corruption cases against in 2018 after they tried, unsuccessfully, to extort about R10 million from me. At the time, they were clear and on record saying that “failure to pay the R10million would result in immediate retaliation.”
He went on complaining that despite opening the cases, South African Authorities have not taken any relevant steps to bring to book the said police officers.
“Instead, these officers were let loose, riding on the back state resources, and embarked on a crusade to cover up their crimes by launching and issuing numerous warrant of arrests against me,” he said.
He further added that the same police officers are the ones who arrested him in February 2019 “As is not enough they are again same police officers who arrested me in October 2020, and, again, without any official confirmation I bet it’s the same police officers,” worried Bushiri.
He further revealed that he has been advised that the rape cases are not handled by the Hawks but South African Police (SAPS) designated unit known as Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS).
“I had launched complaints on how Hawks were recruiting girls to fabricate charges of rape and to date no reprieve for me. Some of these were confirmed via various videos of those who came back to confess such wrongful conduct,” he said
He then repeated his claims that as long as the said police officers he is accusing of corruption are still handling his case he will not be able to get fair trial in the Rainbow Nation.
“During my public address on Saturday, 21 Nov 2020, I pertinently and persistently stated that as long as these officers are not recused, there is no way I can receive fair trial in South Africa because those officers are surely and evidently so driven by vengeance, not justice,” he said.
He added; “That is why these fresh warrants of arrest are neither a shock nor a surprise because they only confirm every detail I shared with regard to spates of injustice I left in South Africa.”
He then pointed out that as a man of God, husband and a father he understands that rape is an abominable crime and that it goes against everything that he stands and believes in.
He then added that as keen as he is to clear his name, he refuse to feed the media spectacle created by white police officers bent over to cover up their crimes, “my conscious is very clear and so it shall remain.”
Bushiri and his wife left South Africa violating bail conditions and now are the most wanted people in South Africa where they are answering charges of fraud and money laundering.
