Shepherd Bushiri, who identifies himself as a prophet, along with his spouse, Mary, has achieved a significant legal victory as the High Court of Malawi has reversed a previous decision that permitted their extradition to South Africa.
This judgement was announced on Friday, October 31, 2025, by Justice Mzonde Mvula, who determined that the extradition process had serious procedural errors and infringed on the couple’s constitutional rights.
Justice Mvula stated that the legal actions taken against the Bushiris did not respect Malawi’s foundational principles regarding fairness, equality, and the right to life.
“The right to life is more paramount than the availability to face trial,” said Mvula.
“The Magistrate did not balance the plight of the applicants who, time and again, fell victim to extortion by the police of Gauteng Province, who persisted in threats and intimidation. The hearing was one-sided. Applicants were never allowed to present their side of the story.”
The High Court’s decision invalidates a ruling from March 2025 by the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court, which had put the couple in custody while awaiting transfer to South African law enforcement.
Mvula also pointed out that the lower court did not serve justice properly and that his ruling serves to amend that failure.
“The conclusion the Magistrate arrived at to extradite does not follow from the premises extradition is sought. The Magistrate lacked the brevity to stand by the course of justice,” he stated.
This ruling stops South Africa’s attempts to return the couple to face various allegations, including fraud, forgery, and rape.
