CONTROVERSIAL prophet Shepherd Bushiri has come out guns blazing against the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
He accused the entity of lies, abuse of power and destroying an innocent man's life.
Bushiri released a statement saying the SIU must be reminded of a "simple, undeniable truth" that he never applied for his South African immigration status inside the country.
"I did not apply for my immigration status in South Africa. I applied through the South African Embassy in Malawi," said Bushiri.
He insisted that all his documents were submitted in Malawi long before he and his family permanently moved to Mzansi.
He said:
"My documents were submitted in Malawi, not through any church member in South Africa."
Bushiri said his permits were approved legally under South African immigration laws that allow residency for people who make substantial investments in the country.
"By the time I applied, I had already invested more than R90 million in South Africa. This was not a favour. It was not an exception. It was the law," he said.
Bushiri said once the permits were approved, the South African Embassy in Malawi contacted them to collect the documents.
ALSO READ | Brown Mogotsi drops KZN police bombshellOpens in new window
"We did not chase anyone. We did not solicit help. We followed the process exactly as prescribed," he said.
The pastor expressed anger over the arrest of an immigration officer who was allegedly linked to his church.
"An innocent man was arrested, an immigration officer whose only ‘crime' was that he was a member of our church," said Bushiri.
He said the officer was accused, without evidence, of issuing permits illegally despite the applications being processed through official embassy channels.
He said:
"That baseless suspicion cost him everything. He was brutally treated, dismissed from his job and stripped of his dignity. And last week, he died."
Bushiri slammed authorities for issuing statements after the man's death.
"Before his body was even laid to rest, a statement was rushed out claiming he had admitted to issuing us permits illegally. They spoke for him only once they were sure he could no longer speak for himself. They know the dead cannot defend the truth."
Bushiri also questioned why the investigation resurfaced now, saying he and his wife were charged six years ago for the same allegations.
"If this investigation is only emerging now, why were we arrested then? Do you arrest people in order to investigate, or do you investigate in order to arrest?" he asked.
He accused authorities of abusing the justice system.
He said:
"What is happening here is not justice. It is not due process. It is a witch-hunt. And it has already claimed an innocent life."
The SIU has been investigating allegations of fraud and corruption linked to the granting of Bushiri's permanent residence permits.
Authorities allege the permits were irregularly issued, claims Bushiri has repeatedly denied.
