By Chisomo Phiri
The Malawi High Court sitting in the capital city Lilongwe on Monday ordered South African witnesses in the Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s extradition case to physically come to Malawi and testify before the Chief Resident Magistrates Court.
The ruling follows an appeal the Bushiris made against an earlier ruling by the magistrate court that witnesses should testify in South Africa.
“The witnesses to the extradition hearing will testify physically in the presence of the Chief Resident Magistrate here in Malawi on a date and time to be appointed by the court,” reads the ruling by Judge Bruno Kalemba.
Commenting on the issue, Bushiri’s lawyer Wapona Kita welcomed the ruling saying the court has granted their prayer for the witnesses to come to Malawi and testify physically.
Bushiri had alleged that there have been assasination attempts after the two opened cases against some individuals in South Africa.
On his controversial return to Malawi, Bushiri said he was being maltreated by systems in South Africa.
He has since described the ruling as fair and that he looks forward to meeting the witnesses in court where they will exercise their right to cross examine them for a fair ruling .
The Malawi’s popular Prophet and together with his wife Mary Bushiri who are constructing Goshen City in Malawi face fraud and money laundering charges in South Africa.
They fled the Rainbow Nation in 2020 after they were given bail.
