‘Find the Guptas & missing Covid-19 billions too’: Maimane responds to Mbalula vowing ‘we'll find Bushiri’

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula's vow to find Shepherd Bushiri has been greeted with skepticism.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula's vow to find Shepherd Bushiri has been greeted with skepticism.
Image: TWITTER/ FIKILE MBALULA

One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has responded to transport minister Fikile Mbalula's promise to "find” controversial prophet Shepherd Bushiri, urging him to also find the Gupta family, missing Covid-19 billions and solutions to other social issues.

Bushiri announced on Saturday that he had left South Africa for his home country Malawi with his wife Mary. He said this was due to safety concerns. This comes just one week after the couple were granted bail by the Pretoria magistrate's court. 

They were arrested last month and face allegations of money laundering, theft and fraud relating to an investment scheme of R102m.

Mbalula vowed to find Bushiri, but Maimane was not convinced.

“Don't forget to also find the Guptas and the controversial Covid-19 billions. Keep the energy consistent for gender-based violence (GBV), assailants and rapists,” Maimane said.

The Sunday Times reported that questions around who facilitated Bushiri's escape have resulted in a potential “diplomatic storm between SA and Malawi”.

Their mysterious departure coincided with the arrival of Malawi's president Lazarus Chakwera, who flew to SA on Thursday for a brief meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

A senior government official told the publication that the possibility of Chakwera's involvement could not be ruled out, considering his close relationship with Bushiri. The church leader reportedly funded his election campaign.

Chakwera's spokesperson, Brian Banda, denied the president's involvement in Bushiri's escape. He said the Malawian government will look into Bushiri's violation of his bail conditions by leaving South Africa.

South Africa's acting presidency spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, also denied that the Bushiris left with Chakwera.

Maimane was not the only one who had little faith in Mbalula and the government.

Many on social media asked how Mbalula would find Bushiri when he failed to apprehend the killers of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa during his tenure as police minister.

Here are some of the reactions: 

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