Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri has alleged that Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya and other officers demanded a R12 million bribe from him in 2016. Bushiri claims that the officers tried to intimidate him by sending police and even a helicopter to his church.
According to Bushiri, he met with General Khehla John Sitole, then a senior police official, to complain about the bribe demands. Bushiri warned Sitole that a powerful cartel would retaliate if the demands weren't met. Bushiri also claims to have reported the matter to the then Minister of State Security, Bongani Bongo, who brought in Arthur Fraser, the head of the State Security Agency at the time.
Bushiri alleges that there were several attempts on his life and that he even raised the issue with Malawi's then-president, Peter Mutharika. He claims that Lieutenant-General Sibiya later demanded more money to stop cases against him, and that his efforts to get justice through the police and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) failed.
Bushiri and his wife Mary were arrested by the Hawks in 2019 and again in 2020 on charges of fraud and money laundering involving around R102 million. They were granted bail but fled to Malawi in November 2020, citing concerns for their safety and claiming they weren't treated fairly in South Africa.
On October 31, 2025, the High Court of Malawi overturned South Africa's extradition request, calling the process legally flawed, one-sided, and unsafe. Justice Mzonde Mvula ruled that South Africa's case relied on hearsay and unauthenticated documents, and that the Bushiris' right to life outweighed the need to face trial.
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