Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri, leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering church, and his wife Mary in court. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency (ANA)
By Siyabonga Sithole
Johannesburg – The Shepherd Bushiri scandal has come to haunt former chief director for Permitting at the Department of Home Affairs, Ronney Marhule, who has since been dismissed by the department for having approved Bushiri’s permanent residence application, received by the department some time in 2016.
South Africans and political parties have reacted to the dismissal of the senior official who was found guilty of irregularly approving Shepherd Bushiri’s permanent residence permit.
The official was dismissed after a disciplinary process, which lasted over a year, found him guilty of gross negligent, dishonesty and non-compliance with laws governing the immigration act.
Political party COPE said in a statement the official should be criminally charged, adding dismissal was not enough of a sanction in this matter.
“The Home Affairs official who was involved in the approval of Shepherd Bushiri’s permanent residence application, must be criminally charged. Dismissal is not enough. The said official is also accused of having recommended permanent residency for Bushiri, his wife and children as well as two others. This is absolutely unacceptable and clear corruption. When Bushiri escaped from the country we said that we suspect that it is an inside job, and an indication of how deep and serious corruption is in Home Affairs. It is now clear that he bought his way out of the country,” COPE spokesperson, Dennis Bloem said.
Bloem added the official must have been bribed to facilitate the unlawful transaction, and called on the Minister of Home Affairs Elias Motsoaledi to lay criminal charges against the former official.
“COPE welcomes the dismissal of this official and appreciates the efforts of the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Motsoaledi to clean this rotten department.
“We are calling upon Minister Motsoaledi to lay criminal charges against this official. This will send out a strong message that corruption will not be tolerated anymore,” Bloem said.
The dismissal of Marhule comes after five home affairs officials were arrested in Mbombela and Eldorado Park this past week for allegedly being part of a syndicate that lured South African citizens to sell their personal details to foreign nationals in order for them to get SA passports.
On Twitter one user identified as Phuthumile @WatuJayP said Marhule was being sacrificed to protect politicians who ordered him to approve Bushiri’s permanent residence in the country.
“Marhule followed instructions from politicians. Investigate Malusi Gigaba. He also followed strict orders from President,” the Twitter user said.
“A lesson is that all those professionals who allowed politicians to do as they please in their name will he picked one by one with protection of those politicians. Never allow someone without even a matrix to destroy your hard-earned degree/diploma,” wrote Mashaya Doyi @Maliqo
The Star