Home Affairs will appeal decision to allow DRC prophet asylum in SA

Source: Business Day, 18/04/2017

The Department of Home Affairs is fighting to keep self-proclaimed
prophet Paul Joseph Mukungubila out of SA.
Responding on Tuesday to news reports that the Congolese pastor had
obtained asylum Home Affairs said it was appealing against a decision
by the High Court in Johannesburg to allow Mukungubila to apply for
asylum.
According to reports Mukungubila first arrived in SA from the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in March 2014 after allegedly
orchestrating a spate of attacks in December 2013 on the airport and
the main army headquarters in Kinshasa the capital.
In a statement the department said Mukungubila had applied for asylum
but his application was rejected after the justice minister issued a
notification for the pastor to be extradited to stand trial in his
homeland.
The DRC had made allegations of gross human rights violations against
Mukungubila and as a consequence requested Interpol to facilitate his
extradition to the DRC the statement read.
But in March the high court ruled that the department should allow
Mukungubila to apply for asylum and halt extradition proceedings
pending finalisation of his asylum application.
The department filed for leave to appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal.
This application (for leave to appeal) has the effect of staying the
judgment of the high court pending its finalisation. In essence this
means that Paul Joseph Mukungubila a DRC national does not have status
in SA.
According to the department Mukungubila claimed he was regarded by the
followers of his faith as a man of God who possesses revelatory powers
about the future of the nation.
His organisation the Ministry for the Restoration from Black Africa is
said to consist of 1‚200 members in the DRC.
He is also is wanted for questioning about violence that left more
than 100 people dead.
Earlier Reuters quoted Mukungubilas spokesperson Charlie Mingiedi
saying the pastor had been awarded asylum in SA on March 30.
There is no return to [the DRC] but he will continue to mobilise the
Congolese people against the dictatorship ruling the country his
spokesman said.