Wally the Great

WATCH | Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza has urged citizens and civic organisations to collaborate with them in identifying those who are illegally in the country.

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Court Clears Path for Racketeering Trial of Shepherd Bushiri's Co-Accused The long-delayed racketeering trial against Zambian businessman Willah Joseph Mudolo (pictured), his wife Zethu Matshingana Mudolo, their company Rising Estate (Pty) Ltd, and three other co-accused is set to begin on Monday, 4 May 2026, in the Pretoria High Court. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed a Pretoria High Court judgment handed down on 2 April 2026 by Judge Mahomed Ismail, which dismissed applications by Mudolo and others aimed at preventing the state from charging them with racketeering under section 2 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The court also rejected attempts to review their arrests, set aside a racketeering certificate issued by former NDPP Advocate Shamila Batohi, and remove the team of prosecutors assigned to the case. The six accused, Mudolo, his wife, Rising Estate, Landiwe Ntlokwana Sindani, Nomalarvasagie Reddy, Sateesh Isseri, and Stephanie Oliver face multiple charges including racketeering, money laundering, and fraud. The case stems from an alleged R102 million fraud, theft, and money-laundering scheme linked to investments in entities connected to self-proclaimed Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church operations. Bushiri and his wife Mary fled South Africa in November 2020 while out on bail and remain fugitives in Malawi. Since the matter was transferred to the Pretoria High Court in November 2023, the state has been ready to proceed. However, proceedings have been repeatedly stalled. In January 2025, Justice Mokhine Masopa ruled that Mudolo, his wife, and their company were responsible for undue delays. NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago described the tactics as "Stalingrad tactics" a deliberate abuse of legal processes that have undermined the rights of co-accused and the public to a speedy trial. "The NPA views with serious concern the adverse impact of the so-called 'Stalingrad tactics' employed by the accused," Kganyago said in a statement. "Such conduct reflects a deliberate abuse of legal processes and will not deter the NPA from fulfilling its constitutional mandate." The NPA said it remains committed to prosecuting the matter "without fear, favour or prejudice." The commencement of the trial on Monday marks the end of years of pre-trial legal skirmishes and brings the remaining accused one step closer to facing justice in one of South Africa's most high-profile financial crime cases.