Bushiri suspends maize donations

South Africa-based Malawian, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church International (ECG) has today announced the suspension of relief support to people affected by hunger in the country due to what he calls “obstacles from people “protecting President Peter Mutharika’s political interests”.

In a strong worded open letter to Mutharika posted on his Facebook page, Bushiri said the President’s royalists believe he [Bushiri] is eying Mutharika’s seat in the 2019 elections, hence their decision to frustrate his efforts.“

“Your Excellency, I will resume my aid when you personally assure me that I have your support towards my efforts in salvaging the suffering citizenry of our great nation. I have only spent a quarter of my planned budget towards maize donations, but with regret, I have suspended the project,” Bushiri said.

“I have said it time and again that I have no intentions of joining politics now or in the near future. I am a man of God with a prophetic anointing and I am very contented with that. Treating me as a threat is a big mistake that your machinery is making.”

Bushiri popularly known as Major 1 amongst his followers admitted in the letter that the suspension will neither affect him nor Mutharika, but the people who are suffering, adding that “If you [Mutharika] have their affairs at heart, then you will publicly support my efforts to help them.”

Whilst acknowledging that Mutharika could not be aware of these bottlenecks, Bushiri further claimed that most chiefs have been afraid to cooperate with him “because they are scared of your [Mutharika’s] machinery which has waged war under a mission of bringing down my humanitarian efforts.”

But in an interview, Press Secretary Gerald Viola said State House has not received the letter. He further said he has not seen any communication from Bushiri seeking to meet Mutharika.

“We haven’t gotten any communication from Prophet Bushiri. When anyone wants to meet the President, not just Prophet Bushiri, there is a procedure, you have to book through the ADC [Aide de Camp] and the ADC puts that in writing to the President.

“So, I haven’t seen any communication from Bushiri asking to meet the President. But if he wants to come, let him contact the ADC. Sometimes it is really good to engage the President as a man of God and the door is open for the Prophet at any time,” said Viola.

About 3 million Malawians are facing food crisis due to the drought has hit many part of Southern Africa and floods that Malawi experienced last year.

Bushiri’s suspension of aid will obviously be a big blow to many affected households more so that Admarc depots do not have enough maize.

CAPTION: No more donations.