Mapaballo Borotho

- The NPA has raised concerns over the leaked affidavit of a witness in the Bushiri and co-accused trial.
- Bushiri and his wife are facing extradition to South Africa to stand trial on multiple serious charges, including fraud and rape.
- NPA spokesperson says the trial will continue in August 2025.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has raised serious concerns following the leak of an affidavit belonging to one of the state witnesses in the high-profile trial of self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana described the leak as extremely alarming, as it exposes the witness’s identity, thereby placing her life in danger.
It is very concerning as this leaked affidavit has the potential to compromise the state’s case. It also endangers the life of the state witness because her full details, including a photo of her, were published in the media.
She explained that the affidavit was part of the official documentation disclosed to the defence, in line with legal procedures to allow the accused to prepare for trial.
Bushiri and his wife are currently facing extradition to South Africa to stand trial on multiple serious charges, including fraud and rape.
Back in 2020, the couple appeared before two separate courts in South Africa on a string of criminal charges.
They were granted bail but violated their bail conditions by fleeing the country under mysterious circumstances. They were later located in Malawi.
According to Mjonondwana, the trial was initially scheduled to begin in October 2024 but was delayed by a series of interlocutory applications filed by some of the accused in an attempt to postpone proceedings.
None of these interlocutory applications were successful. Despite all these applications, the state has always maintained its readiness to start with the trial.
The NPA has since called on the media to act responsibly when reporting on the matter, urging journalists to ensure their work does not put witnesses at risk.
We therefore urge the media to be responsible when exercising their mandate to produce news and to do so without jeopardising the rights of the witnesses who will be called to testify.
The trial is now set to commence on 04 August 2025.
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