STAFF REPORTER
HOME Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi faced a barrage of criticism from MPS, who grilled him about how the self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, fled South Africa.
Outraged MPs told the minister that the pastor has a made a fool of South African authorities and government.
Motsoaledi assured MPS that the Bushiris did not leave with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera last week Friday.
On Saturday, Bushiri announced that he had fled the country and that he was in his native Malawi.
“The Bushiris did not leave with the Malawian president. The plane was by searched by the police at OR Tambo Airport and the pastor and his wife were not on board the president’s flight, said Motsoaledi.
“We have in the past warned that travel documents used by Bushiri and his wife were irregular. We regard him as a flight risk who should not have be granted bail. We are suffering porous borders.”
The portfolio committee on home affairs received a report from the Minister of Home Affairs, a report the committee views as preliminary.
The committee said it was of the view that the broader investigation will be helpful in clarifying this embarrassment to the cluster and to South Africa as a whole.
In addition, the home affairs portfolio committee demanded CCTV footage of the departure of Malawian President’s aircraft, including the three hours before its departure from SA.
“What the report has clarified with certainty is that the aircraft transporting Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera was not used by Mr and Mrs Bushiri to abscond from South Africa and their legal woes. This, according to us, puts to rest the speculations widely reported in the country,” said Adv Bongani Bongo, the Chairperson of the committee.
But the committee remains concerned that there is no clarity regarding how the Bushiris escaped South Africa, but is hopeful that a broad cluster investigation will give the necessary clarity needed.
The committee will thus interact with other parliamentary committees within the cluster to schedule a joint meeting to receive a consolidated report and ensure accountability on the matter.
The committee appreciated the challenges the country is facing regarding its porous borders, but is concerned that Permanent Residency permits were granted fraudulently to both Shepherd and Mary Bushiri.
“The selling of South African permits to the highest bidder is treasonous, and undermines the security of the country. The committee therefore calls on the anti-corruption unit within the department to strengthen its work to ensure that bad apples are removed from the service of the department,” Bongo emphasised.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
