The extradition hearing involving Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, continues today from 11 am.
The hearing started on Monday and here is what has transpired so far.
On Monday, South African government—through its sole witness Sibongile Mzinyathi who is the Director of Public Prosecution for Gauteng Province—officially tendered the extradition request before Magistrate Matilda Chimwaza at Lilongwe Magistrate Court.
After the submission, lawyers for Prophet Bushiri, led by Lawyer Wapona Kita, started cross examining the witness and so far, here is what has transpired.
1. The extradition document which Mzinyathi tendered is not the same as the original request which they submitted to Malawi government in 2020. The one tendered in court has several instances that makes the document doctored and tampered.
2. Out of the 13 offences that the Bushiris are wanted to answer in South Africa, 10 of them are not extraditable according to laws of Malawi. Today, Bushiri lawyers will also demonstrate that the remaining three will also be challenged as not extraditable offences.
3. South African government, Mzinyathi, has told the court today that Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and wife Mary never benefited from the R106 million which they were arrested for in October 2020. Which they can’t be extradited to answer a crime they never committed.
The case resumes today on Wednesday, March 13 2024 with continued cross examination of Mzinyathi.
