This comes barely a week after Bushiri and his wife managed to beat the immigration system in the rainbow nation and bolted to native Malawi.

In a statement issued Sunday, the South African government says the extradition of the two fugitives from Malawi will be done in line with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) protocol and other legal instruments which Malawi signed for.

Reads the statement in part “To ensure that the two fugitives face justice, South Africa has initiated a process to secure their extradition from Malawi in terms of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Extradition and other legal instruments, to which Malawi is a signatory.”

The statement signed by the Director-general of Government Communication and Information Systems in South Africa Phumla Williams also clears reports that Bushiri and his wife left the country together with President Lazarus Chakwera.

“[South African] Government is able to confirm that fugitives Mr. Shepherd Bushiri and Ms. Mary Bushiri did not leave South Africa aboard a flight on which President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation traveled.”

In a public address on Saturday evening, Bushiri justified his escape from South Africa saying his security was threatened.

He also said he wanted to reach out to government of Malawi to intervene on the matter so that he gets a fair trial.

The business magnate and founder of Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church said he would be meeting government officials Monday to present his concerns.

Malawi Government spokesperson Gospel Kazako indicated they will give Bushiri an audience and resolved the matter using relevant laws.

He refused to comment on whether government would extradite Bushiri back to South Africa saying they have not heard from the South African government on the matter.

Bushiri, alongside his wife Mary and two other people, are answering alleged fraud and money laundering charges involving R100 million about K4.9 billion.