on Goshen City
Barely a fortnight has
gone to bed ever since news of the under construction city that is ‘Goshen’ reached
the general public and to a delightful reception for a bunch of reasons. To the
swarm of youthful job seekers, the news resurrected their hope for employment
opportunities in a country where finding a white-collar job is as tough in a
way that only compares to finding a spring in a desert, these are the same
youths and more now who were promised one-million jobs during the last-tripartite
election before the lip-service of politicians reminded everyone of its
existence. To the swarm of local entrepreneurs within the construction
premises, this is an opportunity to walk home with a happy profit by the time
the construction process is done and dusted – here emphasis is on small-scale
vendors who trade in food, transportation and offer accommodation at a price,
not to mention those engaged in piece work. To the swarm of large-scale
entrepreneurs who are at the time suffocating with the ailing economy, the city
which is situated in the lakeshore district of Mangochi is a promise to
experience a new breath of commerce as the city is said to be a business hub.
To the people of
Mangochi, it is with hope that the city in the making, will transform the
district into a market leader when it comes to tourist attraction at district
level. And to everyone affected with limited forex which has hit the country,
Goshen city will attract a lot of foreign currency as foreigners will flock to
the site to appreciate its wonder and all the beauty it has to offer, in the
process, increasing the figures in terms of generated forex. The fact that the
tourism sector has registered a $4 Million profit for the first time in as many
years is testament to the fact that Bushiri’s return to Malawi has led to
foreigners visiting Malawi in large numbers to seek his spiritual attention.
One wonders of the multitude that Goshen city will attract because even at
grassroots stage of construction, the city is already wooing honorable visitors
who leave the premises plump with awe.
Regardless of the angle
that one picks, Goshen City is a wonderful development that Malawians should
welcome at wholesale. But as Michael-Fredrick Paul Sauka writes in the Malawi
national anthem that God Should put to bed envy. Being of pure Malawian origin,
Sauka is better positioned to spot the envy that Malawians harbor. Worse still,
this envy is now blended with dirty politics. It is then with little wonder
that Forum for National Development has petitioned the Anti-Corruption Bureau
(ACB) to investigate the source of funding for Goshen City construction by
Prophet Shepherd Bushiri. According to a letter signed by Fryson Chodzi,
Bushiri is a fugitive from the law of South Africa where he is accused of money
laundering and financial crimes among many other allegations. And in Chodzi’s words,
a background of such profile crimes on accusation basis, is a reason enough to
investigate the source of funds for any huge investments by Bushiri.
But come to think of
it, it is the law in South Africa that accuses Bushiri of being in the wrong
doing. Much as the seer is in good books with the law in Malawi, then there is
no need for ACB to shoot a development well-wisher in the foot. In fact,
Bushiri has no intention of politicizing this development, that is why he
keeps engaging government considering that he held a site-inspection exercise
at the construction location where the minister of tourism Michael Usi was an
invited guest.
If Bushiri is in truth a
thief, then he is Robin of the hood to the community of Malawians unlike some
untouchable corrupt government officials who develop pot bellies by feeding on
tax-payers hard-earned money. If ACB wants to remain relevant, it should focus
on bringing to justice the true culprits. ACB should beware of the boiling fury
in the streets. And to every enemy of the development of Goshen City, watch
out. As the soothsayer in Julius Caesar, let me warn you to beware of the ides
of March.
May the good Lord build
Goshen City. Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain.
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