A sophisticated syndicate which specializes in bringing in stolen cars from South Africa into Malawi allegedly smuggled Bushiri and his wife out of South Africa. It’s alleged that Bushiri paid a lot of money to buy his safe passage across the borders.

One of the publications in Malawi reported that his fleet has also made its way into Malawi,

According to Nomsa Maseko, he’s smuggled out of the country and a whole truck carrying expensive cars follows him and life continues as though nothing happened! What does this say about our intelligence services (NIA), Customs, SAPS and immigration?

However, according to the press Issued by Government Communication and Information System

South African authorities have been going through security footage from all airports. No sign of  Bushiri. Immigration officials at all ports are being questioned.

The government can confirm that fugitives Mr Shepherd Bushiri and Ms Mary Bushiri did not leave South Africa aboard a flight on which President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation travelled.

President Chakwera undertook a successful working visit to South Africa on Friday, 13 November 2020, during which South Africa and Malawi discussed a broad range of initiatives to strengthen relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries.

Following the visit, President Chakwera and his delegation departed from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria & stopped over at OR Tambo International Airport to collect an additional number of officials who had travelled to South Africa earlier to prepare for the working visit.

Department of Home Affairs immigration officials verified the identities of all passengers and Mr and Ms Bushiri were not on the flight.

When travellers are processed for departure, they are required to present themselves to an immigration officer who, among other checks, verifies that the passport belongs to the traveller.

To ensure that the two fugitives face justice, South Africa has initiated a process to secure their extradition from Malawi in terms of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Extradition and other legal instruments, to which Malawi is a signatory.

While this process is underway, law-enforcement agencies will continue investigations into this matter.