Bushiri ready to employ Malawi Police officers victimised for Mzuzu crusade

Flamboyant leader and founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church prophet Shepherd Bushiri has expressed dismay over some Malawians continuous hate towards his church, saying he is ready to offer employment to Malawi Police officers who will be made jobless for providing security at his public crusade in Mzuzu.

This comes amid reports that some police officers in the Northern part of Malawi have been transferred to various departments for deploying maximum security that numbered up to 100 police officers at his crusade which was conducted in Mzuzu for three days.

According to reports published on one of the daily papers, this did not go down well with the leadership of the country that felt Bushiri had been accorded more VIP treatment than the President.

In an interview with Nyasa Times from his South African base, Bushiri who has earned himself a reputation as a ‘man of God’ with succinct prophecie , said he was surprised when he read about the news in Malawi media.

“I must say I was equally shocked just like other people that three police officers have been transferred to different departments and parts of the country for authorising security to the crusade that we just had in Mzuzu. I thought after the conference it was now time for me to rest and forget all the bad reports that I went through prior to the conference, but it seems the enemy is still fighting,” said Bushiri.

Bushiri said this is so unfortunate because the police officers that were deployed to the conference were not there for him, but rather to instil order because thousands upon thousands attended the crusade in Mzuzu.

“I believe every event that has over two thousand people is rated as High Risk Event and it’s mandated to have maximum police security and supervision. The crusade had thousands of people, and a good number of them were foreigners including diplomats. It was just so right to deploy as many officers as possible.

“You might have watched on Prophetic Channel or seen pictures. There were people all over Mzuzu and a lot of people gathered along the way to the venue. My convoy had less than 10 police officers with over 90 people controlling the congregation. It is very wrong to say that 100 police officers were guarding me, they were rather guarding Malawians and others nationals that came to the conference,” explained Bushiri

On the transferred officers, Bushiri sympathised with them and said he is with them in prayers and ready to help them in any way that he can.

“I sympathise with them and their families. In as much as this may be normalised, questions have been raised and all point to one thing, they have suffered on my behalf just like more people that follow me suffer.

“ Am with them in prayers and ready to help them in any way that I can even if it means employing them should they be fired. I can do that even offer them better benefits,” said Bushiri.

Asked to clarify if he would employ 100 police officers if they were fired, Bushiri said: “Yes, even if they fire the whole police, I will employ them to offer services to the people of Malawi and motivate them to work in combating crime effectively.”

He continued: “Malawi is not the first country to offer me state security. I get that to most of the countries I go. In Sudan, Zambia. Tanzania and other more countries I have been privileged to VIP treatment and maximum security at my gatherings because the governments in such countries recognize the economic benefits of my gatherings because they always attract thousands of people who fill stadiums, big halls and even arenas.

“Imagine if we had no police officers at the event and something happens that puts the security of people at risk, what reports would have erupted in the media? Am sure we would have seen more of Bushiri’s negligence reports with others suggesting that am stingy to hire police for security. This is almost a similar case where people have condemned churches that stop their members from going to hospitals saying it’s irresponsible of church leaders to stop medical treatment. To some extent, accused that if we allow them to hospital then we are fake, why not pray for them to be healed and the list goes on.

“Police security is not a spiritual benefit to people but rather social benefit to citizens and one of the requirements of government to provide. I had citizens at my conference who were qualified just like any other person to enjoy the social benefits provided by government to its citizens. We see a lot of police officers to football games and other church gatherings, no one talks, but just because it’s me, issues have arisen. I wonder why am hated so much in my own country, by my own countrymen,” said Bushiri.

it’s not the first time for ‘Major One’ to be given state security. During the Bingu wa Mutharika administration, he was accorded state security that saw officers guarding his residence following a series of fatal attacks that he suffered in Mzuzu.

It is not established if the late Bingu’s brother, Peter Mutharika is in good books with the prophet or not, but it seems the decision to transfer top police officers for allowing maximum security at Bushiri’s conference came from some politicians.

Bushuri refused to be drawn into political discussion, saying he was Man of God who serve people of all political affiliations.

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