Fugitive Zimbabwean national Wellington Masiiwa, also known as Nyokayemabhunu, who faces extradition to Zimbabwe, appeared last week in a South African court on identity fraud charges.
Masiiwa attended the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where the state requested another postponement due to missing documentation. The court granted the delay, setting the next hearing for 20 August.
Masiiwa has been in custody since his arrest on 13 April, charged with violating South Africa’s immigration laws—a move his supporters say is a pretext for what has evolved into a politically charged extradition battle.
On Tuesday, Masiiwa posted a video in which he sought to clarify the status of his legal representation.
This followed an attempt by a group of previously “unfamiliar” lawyers to intervene in the case, submitting documents claiming to represent him at his last court appearance.
His defence alleges that this “shadowy” legal team was part of a broader effort to hand Masiiwa over to South African authorities for extradition to Zimbabwe.
In the video, Masiiwa dismissed the legal team and introduced his new “official spokesperson,” General Sithole, who has reportedly been involved in attempts to take control of his legal defence from Chrispen Machingura. He said in the video:
“I need to clarify that I am not making this video under duress, or being forced to make these statements.”
The origins of the video, reportedly recorded within the court’s restricted holding area, remain unclear.
Multiple sources claim that Zimbabwean state security agents operating covertly in South Africa may have facilitated the video’s production to assert political influence over a potentially sensitive extradition case.
Under South Africa’s Extradition Act, the Justice Minister only becomes formally involved once a valid extradition request is submitted by a foreign state and deemed procedurally sound. The minister then issues a notice allowing a magistrate to open an inquiry.
Only if the magistrate commits the individual for extradition does the minister make a final decision, which can be approved or rejected on legal, humanitarian, or political grounds.
The Zimbabwean government has reportedly initiated an extradition request, alleging that Masiiwa committed fraud in 2014 involving the sale of a residential stand. However, no official request has yet been confirmed by South African authorities.
Masiiwa remains in South African custody, held on criminal charges of identity fraud rather than under extradition proceedings.
