Bushiri says Malawi should utilize the church to develop economy
The church, through its international relations, has a critical role to play in economic development, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG) and Prophetic Ministry has told Nyasa Times.
Bushiri, one of Malawi’s popular prophets was speaking in an interview with Nyasa Times as ECG held its Crossover Night in the capital Lilongwe where thousands of local and foreign delegates attended.
He boasted that through his ministry, the southern African state, currently being ruled by Joyce Banda, is benefiting a lot economically.
“ECG is helping Malawi’s economy through different gatherings that we usually hold,” said Bushiri as he disclosed that through the 2013-14 Crossover Night, Lilongwe registered about 1,000 foreign visitors.
The conference was attended by people from U.S., U.K., Germany, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Botswana and other parts of the world.
Added the man of God: “All these people are here, being accommodated in different hotels and lodges, some of them are using car rentals and even mobile operators have benefited.”
Speaking further, Bushiri said Malawi can take advantage of such church gatherings to attract direct foreign investments.
He revealed that through his Prophetic Ministry he has met a lot of people who are interested to invest in different sectors in Malawi, among them tourism, transport, communication, manufacturing and mining.
“They love the peace and unity in Malawi. So many people are interested to explore different opportunities, they do not only come here to be blessed but they are having great plans for Malawi,” he said.
Among some of the prospective foreign investors that Bushiri has met through his ministry is a U.S.-based Namibian national named Brian Nalisa who has several businesses in Africa and the United States.
Founder of Insight Global Strategy, a group of companies several investments including Insight Luxury Coaches, Nalisa confirmed in a separate interview that he was willing to invest in Malawi.
“The prophet has told me so much about Malawi and through this visit I have seen many potential areas of foreign direct investment, which I’d want to explore,” said Nalisa, a resident of New York City.
“Malawi is far from development and there are a lot of resources here which can be exploited for the development of the country’s economy and infrastructure. We can make this country a growth point in this part of Africa,” observed Nalisa.
Through ECG, prophet Bushiri is employing about 300 people working at his church and the Prophetic TV Channel that is currently running on satellite and is beamed in many parts of Africa and several countries in Europe and the U.S.
