A week after self-proclaimed pastor Shepherd Bushiri fled SA, the government remains clueless about how he escaped.
Critical to solving the mystery is information Malawi's government has been asked to provide to its South African counterparts.
SA wants Malawi to tell it how Bushiri entered his home country and which border post he travelled through.
Bushiri and his wife Mary were out on bail of R200,000 each when they took to Facebook last Saturday to announce that they had fled to their home country, Malawi.
Their escape had been detected after they failed to report at their designated police station last Friday.
Their bolting, which occurred despite the Bushiris surrendering their multiple Malawian passports to the Hawks, was said by Bushiri to be a response to threats to the couple's safety, a claim the Hawks dismiss.
Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale said: "Bushiri only realised his life was in danger after he had absconded.
"He was in court twice and not once did he mention his life being threatened."
She declined to elaborate on the investigation into Bushiri's escape. "What I can say is that we have all five of Bushiri's passports," she said.
A spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Ndileka Cola, said in 2018 Bushiri's lawyer opened a case of police corruption and extortion on his behalf.
"It was alleged that the police officers investigating allegations of rape against Bushiri were trying to extort money from him to make his rape allegations disappear.
"Ipid required Bushiri to provide crucial information about the allegations, but Bushiri's non-availability . has been giving Ipid investigators a challenge. His poor co-operation, busy schedule and non-availability has stalled the investigation."
• R18m - The value of Bushiri’s Gulfstream III aircraft seized by the state
• R5.5m - The value of Bushiri’s Midstream Estate house, which has been forfeited to the state
• 1 - The number of weeks Bushiri and his wife Mary have been on the run
— In numbers
Home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said there is no indication Bushiri has travelled through South African border posts since January 2019. A Hawks source said information they obtained indicates Bushiri did not leave through an airport.
"We have reviewed possible ways of him flying out of the country, and it does not look like he left by air. His Gulfstream III jet is still held by the Asset Forfeiture Unit."
He said the Hawks were working with their counterparts and intelligence services in neighbouring countries to see which countries he may have travelled through.
"Critical to solving this case is getting information from the Malawian authorities on how he arrived in that country."
He said it is believed the escape was planned for months.
"It's not something that just happened. We believe the lockdown and international travel restrictions, along with his October arrest, hampered his earlier escape plans.
"The recent lifting of the travel ban gave him the opportunity to escape."
A senior national immigration officer said specific land borders were being zeroed in on to determine which port Bushiri escaped through.
"Those being looked at include Pafuri, bordering on Kruger National Park, Oshoek on the Swaziland border, Beitbridge and five border posts with Botswana. Botswana recently lifted a ban on Bushiri."
Hours of CCTV footage and data from border posts, airport immigration facilities, border movement control databases and airline charter companies are being investigated, he said, "but all indications are he did not flee by air".
He said investigators are looking at passport applications made shortly before lockdown began.
"If no red flags are raised, Bushiri either left on another country's passport or without one. We hear he may have a new Malawian passport."
Malawi immigration department spokesperson Joseph Chauwa denied Bushiri has a new passport. He said his department is also investigating how Bushiri entered the country and whether he used a passport.
Bushiri's Malawian lawyer, Wapona Kita, said the issue of how he arrived in the country and whether he used a passport has not been discussed - and "on legal advice my client won't be taking any questions".
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