Bushiri doesn’t care about lost house, says ‘my life is more

Bushiri doesn’t care about lost house, says ‘my life is more important’

The couple fled to Malawi last month because of ‘safety and security issues’ which they claim has been on since 2015. It would be recalled that the leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church, Shepherd Bushiri says he doesn’t care about the Centurion property he forfeited to the South Africa government after failing to appear in court at the end of October 2020 after he was granted bill and he seem to have escape from the country. He said in a statement after the court ruling: “I am informed that some of my assets in South Africa have been confiscated by authorities to which I say: ‘My right to life is more important than any asset in this world’.” Reports have it that the property is situated in Midstream Estate, Centurion valued at R5.5 million. This was forfeited along with the couple’s combined bail money of R400, 000. The court took the decision after it was made known by the press that the couple violated their bail conditions and they have left the country without being noticed and fled to Malawi. Bushiri and his wife, Mary, appeared before a Malawian court in mid-November after handing themselves to Malawi police

for what they call protective arrangement rather than being arrested as claimed by the African press. In his ruling, the magistrate ordered their unconditional release, saying their arrest was illegal. “Whatever has happened today, I don’t see it as our victory nor our lawyers. God has won. Tomorrow is better than today,” said Bushiri. Bushiri, his wife, and the three other accused were arrested in October in connection with fraud, money laundering and theft worth more than R102 million. The couple fled to Malawi because of “safety and security issues since 2015” – matters which got worse after they were granted bail, they said in a statement. “There have been clear and evident attempts to have myself, my wife and my family killed and despite our several attempts to report to authorities, there has never been State protection. Our coming to Malawi, hence, is a tactical withdrawal from the Republic of South Africa solely meant to preserve our lives. “These attempts have been heightened with recent spates of arrests and detentions that we felt the only way for us to clear our names before the law is to ensure that our lives are preserved. My wife and I strongly believe in our innocence but this cannot be proved if our lives are not preserved. We have to be alive to testify to our innocence. “Against this background, we have come to a painful conclusion that what my wife and I have faced in the Republic of South Africa, since 2015, is purely persecution not prosecution,” said Bushiri.