Fugitive Shepherd Bushiri enters migration storm with 10 buses for stranded Malawians
Controversial self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri – who is a fugitive in South Africa – claims that he has stepped in to help fund the transport of Malawian nationals returning home ahead of the June 30 deadline set by anti-illegal immigration movement March and March.
Bushiri said he had secured at least 10 buses repatriation his countrymen fleeing South Africa.
Bushiri, who fled South Africa in 2020 while out on bail, is currently based in Malawi and faces fraud and money laundering charges linked to a controversial investment scheme. South African authorities have sought his extradition, while he has denied the allegations.
His intervention comes as thousands of Malawian nationals seek assistance to return home amid growing pressure ahead of the June 30 deadline.
Social media videos circulating showed groups of Malawians calling on Bushiri by name to use his resources to assist with transport as repatriation efforts struggled to keep pace with demand.
According to reports from Malawi, 2,218 Malawians have already returned home, while a further 514 are currently travelling back. An estimated 15,000 Malawians remain in South Africa awaiting repatriation.
In statements posted on X, Bushiri said buses had been secured following coordination with the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg.
“We have successfully secured a number of buses to assist with the voluntary repatriation of fellow Malawians currently in South Africa,” Bushiri said.
The repatriation effort has intensified in recent weeks, with more than 10,000 Malawian nationals gathering at processing sites in Durban.
The situation has been further complicated by reports that Malawian nationals have taken refuge at Mayors Walk in Pietermaritzburg after fleeing alleged violence in the Jika Joe informal settlement, with many also seeking assistance to return to Malawi.
Humanitarian organisations have described the situation as a crisis as authorities work to process and transport those seeking repatriation.
@iolnews Groups of Malawians calling on Shepherd Bushiri by name to use his resources to assist with transport as repatriation efforts struggled to keep pace with demand. #MalawianNationals #ShepherdBushiri #transport #repatriation
Bushiri said the initial plan focused on Gauteng but was later expanded after a request from the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg to assist in Pietermaritzburg.
“While our initial plan was to focus our efforts within Gauteng Province, we received a request from the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg to deploy some of the buses to Pietermaritzburg, where there is an urgent need to assist Malawians wishing to return home,” he said.
He added that several buses had already been deployed from Johannesburg.
“I am pleased to report that several buses have already departed Johannesburg and have been assigned to support this urgent operation in Pietermaritzburg,” he said.
Bushiri said medical personnel and first aid support had also been arranged for those travelling.
“Our commitment goes beyond simply helping them return to Malawi; we are equally committed to ensuring that they return home in good health and are provided with the care and support they may require along the way,” he said.
He added that efforts were under way to increase capacity, although financial constraints remained a challenge.
“Our desire is to increase the number of buses available for this operation and assist as many people as possible. However, our biggest challenge remains the settlement of payments to transport operators, largely due to foreign exchange constraints,” he said.
In a separate post on Monday, Bushiri said buses he had committed to sending had arrived in South Africa and had begun loading Malawian nationals.
“Great news! The buses I committed to send have arrived in South Africa and have started loading our fellow Malawians to bring them home safely,” he said.
Meanwhile, South African authorities continue to process and repatriate Malawian nationals through sites including the Durban Drive-In and Sherwood facilities in KwaZulu-Natal.
Home Affairs KwaZulu-Natal manager Cyril Mncwabe said officials were continuing to process people.
“We have already dispatched about 11 buses that are currently on site, and nine of those buses have already left,” he said.
He added that authorities were working to manage constant arrivals at the facility.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, has rejected claims that Malawian nationals were being transported from Durban to Johannesburg instead of being returned to Malawi.
Following a visit to the Sherwood processing site, Kubayi said government had verified reports on repatriation movements.
“We have checked the information. The buses were done outside the government and the IMC. All buses that departed being processed by the government are escorted until they cross the border by law enforcement. None of those buses has dropped people in inland South Africa,” she said.
She added that the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government was investigating allegations that foreign nationals were being transported and abandoned in Johannesburg.
“Yesterday, KZN got the same report of individuals/organisations putting foreign nationals in buses and dropping them at various venues. This is inhumane and unlawful,” she said.
Kubayi also acknowledged broader pressure on the system following an inspection of the Lindela Repatriation Centre, saying delays in embassy responses were slowing deportations.
“We require their embassies, their countries, to confirm. We did receive again the report that some of the countries are not responding,” she said.
She added that Lindela was under strain due to high volumes of undocumented foreign nationals.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia reiterated that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.
“The responsibility to enforce our immigration laws is a responsibility of the state. No one has the legal right to take the law into their own hands,” he said.
He added that arrests had already been made in connection with unlawful conduct linked to immigration-related protests.
“There should be no ambiguity about it. No confusion about it,” he said.
Citizen-led organisations such as March and March say they are monitoring the deportation process closely, with particular attention on Malawian nationals.
The group’s Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said they are watching for possible loopholes in the system that could lead to corruption or misuse of funds.
Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu of Nelson Mandela University said government should be open to legitimate assistance where offered, given the scale of the crisis.
“What is happening here in South Africa is not new. So now the government is not in a position to deny help like that from Malawians such as Bushiri,” he said.
Ngobese-Zuma also raised concerns about governance, saying the crisis risked being exploited for corruption and mismanagement of funds.
Additional Reporting, Siyabonga Mlambo.
IOL News
