Self-styled prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary. Picture: Instagram
Cape Town – Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the names of the Home Affairs officials who helped the Bushiris with their travel documents are known by the department.
Responding to oral questions during a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, Motsoaledi said assertions that the department does not know the identities of the officials who allegedly helped the Bushiris with fraudulent passports were not true.
However, Motsoaledi said the identities of the officials will not be disclosed until investigations being conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies have been concluded, sanews.gov.za reported.
The minister had been asked by an MP why the government was taking so long to get to the bottom of the circumstances, which led to the self-proclaimed prophet and his wife skipping the country after being released on bail.
Bushiri, his wife Mary and other accused at the time faced charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
’’The Bushiri matter is being investigated not only by Home Affairs but by a slew of (parliamentary committees). The Hawks are involved, Military Intelligence is involved, as well as Home Affairs,’’ Motsoaledi said.
“I have reported many times that it was agreed that Home Affairs must not disclose any of the officials who were involved, until all these committees report and the portfolio committee on home affairs has decided to call all the other portfolio committees, so that this becomes a joint venture (sic). That’s where we are,” Motsoaledi said.
He once again assured that the matter was being investigated at the highest level.
On Tuesday, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said legal representatives of Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering were arrested and taken to court but their matter was not enrolled.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the elite crime-fighting unit has been investigating Bushiri’s legal representatives for crimes including corruption, intimidation and defeating the ends of justice since 2018 in relation to the alleged withdrawal of statements from women who had accused Bushiri of rape.
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