Overview
- The High Court in Lilongwe set aside the Chief Resident Magistrate’s March 12 decision that had approved the couple’s extradition to South Africa.
- Judges found the magistrate’s reasoning legally flawed, saying the decision did not follow from the basis on which extradition was sought.
- The ruling halts any transfer to South Africa, where the Bushiris face fraud, theft, and money-laundering charges totaling more than R100 million.
- South Africa’s Justice Department said the government is studying the judgment and will determine its next steps while continuing formal cooperation with Malawi.
- Shepherd and Mary Bushiri, leaders of the Enlightened Christian Gathering church, left South Africa for Malawi in November 2020 shortly after being granted bail, and South Africa submitted an extradition request the following month.