A Pretoria High Court has reserved judgment in a recusal dispute tied to Bushiri’s co-accused, with trial concerns raised by the defence.
A key ruling in a dispute over whether prosecutors should be removed from a major fraud case will not come immediately.
Judgment has been reserved until Thursday in the fraud, racketeering, and money laundering matter involving self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s co-accused. The defence is challenging a prior outcome that dismissed an earlier request to recuse two prosecutors assigned to the case.
The recusal application is central to the defence’s argument that the accused cannot receive a fair trial while those prosecutors remain part of the team. In this context, the court’s decision on Thursday is expected to shape how the matter proceeds.
Willah Mudolo, a Zambian national, is among the co-accused and is linked to charges connected to allegations described as involving R102 million. He appeared in court together with his wife and four others as the case continued.
His legal representative, Advocate Mandla Hlatshwayo, has indicated that further legal escalation may follow if the matter continues despite the defence’s objections. He also warned that the dispute over the prosecutors’ role goes to the accused’s rights.
This kind of recusal fight matters because it can affect not only courtroom strategy, but also public confidence in whether proceedings are seen as impartial from the start.
The defence has asked the High Court in Pretoria to set aside the April 2026 judgment that rejected the recusal application for the two prosecutors. The application reserved for Thursday is therefore tied to whether that earlier dismissal will be reconsidered.
Meanwhile, the case remains active, with the defence signalling that it will continue to contest the fairness of the prosecution setup. Any change in the prosecutors involved could influence how future hearings are handled.
At the end of the day, Thursday’s ruling is likely to determine how quickly the trial can move forward without further procedural hurdles, or whether the parties will keep arguing over who is allowed to prosecute the matter.