Fugitive church leader Shepherd Bushiri's multi-million-rand estate is set to be auctioned off to recover a debt of more than R200 million, allegedly incurred by him and his wife, Mary before fleeing South Africa.
On Thursday, JM Busha Investments, under its director Joseph Busha, obtained a writ of execution order at the Johannesburg High Court.
The execution order will put an end to a three-year legal battle to recoup R203 544 845 which the Bushiris failed to pay.
According to City Press, Busha's court documents show that the Bushiris were supposed to repay the amount with interest at 10%.
On Thursday, Judge Nelisa Mali handed down the ruling, with emphasis on the writ of execution against the Bushiris' properties, which included a luxury hotel in the North West.
According to the court ruling: "The respondent [the Bushiris] and all other interested parties are called on to show cause, if they so wish, on a date to be obtained from the registrar, why the respondent's estate should not be finally sequestrated and why the costs of the application, including the costs relating to the granting of the provisional order of sequestration, are not to be costs in the sequestration of the respondent estate."
Initial court documents in 2020, Busha cited that the Bushiris had agreed to pay back the full sum, but had failed to do so, City Press reported.
They were supposed to pay the arrears on interest on or before 31 March 2020, then R100 million on or before 20 April 2020 and R103 544 845 on or before 10 May 2020.
However, the couple failed to adhere to the court order after they fled South Africa and returned to their home in Malawi in 2020.
Following the couple's escape, Busha petitioned the court for a sequestration order which would allow for everything under the Bushiri name to be placed in the hands of the Master of the High Court.
The court granted the request: "The applicant [Busha] could dispose of various immovable properties. The applicant could perfect its pledge of various movable assets that were subject to general notarial bonds."
The Bushiris were also ordered to pay the costs of that application on the attorney and client scale.
