In an emotive statement written on Wednesday Bushiri said he has not left South Africa in 13 months and therefore did not meet Mukupe’s wife in Malawi as alleged.
Bushiri further urged Mukupe to respect his wife.
Read the full statement below:
It is not in my nature to respond to allegations levelled against me. However, it has come to my attention that Terence Mukupe, a disgraced former deputy minister in Zimbabwe has made false allegations that I am responsible for his wife’s pregnancy.
The basis of his allegations are screenshots of chats and messages purportedly between me and his wife.
For the purposes of clarity.
I am not on WhatsApp. Neither am I on iMessenger. This has been the case since late 2017. Those with access to me will know this. Those who do not, please stand guided, I AM NOT ON WHATSAPP or iMESSENGER. I have not been for 3 years.
Secondly, I have not traveled out of South Africa in the last 13 months, and therefore have not met this man’s wife in Malawi as he believes. This ought to be public knowledge.
Thirdly the contact number in his pictures is NOT mine and has never been mine. Therefore whoever was speaking with this man’s wife isn’t me.
Given all this, it is therefore impractical and impossible for his allegations to be materially true.
Sadly this guy’s lies are part of a pattern of libel and slander that has been directed at me for over a decade.
The bible teaches us to forgive and ignore, but there also comes a time when those that make defamatory and highly damaging allegations about others must face the music of their choice.
I have consequently engaged my lawyers in Zimbabwe to urgently seek legal recourse.
As you may know, since 2019 I have been suing every newspaper that carries fake stories about me. This is on record. I have been suing and winning, and media house after media house has been apologising and paying damages for their lies. It is a strategy that has become policy.
I therefore call on Terence Mukupe to respect his wife, his marriage and his children. For him to tell the whole world that his wife was impregnanted by another man paints him in bad light but also opens his wife to all forms of abuse.
A man has a duty and obligation to protect his wife and Terence must not open her up to abuse and name calling.
I call on him to respect my family and everyone else. These false allegations stay on the internet forever and will harm many lives. If they were true it would make sense. But these are lies.
To sue him, win and take money from him would be unfortunate, as his already doing all this to me for money. Sir, fear God, don’t be desperate to the level of selling a good name of yourself with cheap lies like these.
But as I said, if he chooses otherwise, we will have no option but to make yet another example out of him.
We cannot tolerate and allow slander, libel and defamation to go unchallenged.
Lastly, I pray that Mukupe makes peace with his wife and whoever is responsible for her pregnancy.
God Bless you Zimbabwe. I love you!