Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe's prosperity gospel
05 Oct 2015 at 08:32hrs | Views
Nowadays Zimbabwe gets little news coverage abroad - understandable, given that most stories from Zimbabwe are about poverty, unemployment and fractious politics. This is hardly hot news.
Every now and again a Zimbabwe story strikes a rich chord abroad, the shooting of Cecil the lion being a good example. However, the death of Cecil didn't really say much about Zimbabwe as he was well past his prime anyway.
Now a Zimbabwe website News24Zim has come up with a story that says something important about Zimbabwe (and neighbouring countries). It has been given splash treatment in the mass circulation Daily Mail here in the UK.
The story taps into one of the few thriving industries in Zimbabwe - the prosperity prophet phenomenon. The prophet involved this time is Malawi-born Shepherd Bushiri who claims to have a private jet so private that nobody can see it and to be able to walk on air (presumably when he is not using his private jet).
The Zimbabwe website's video about the miraculous 'walking in the air' has gone viral after being uploaded to Youtube, to the delight of Bushiri's devoted followers. But the Mail, along with others, points to the unexplained shadow of someone apparently helping to support the floating prophet (see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3256188/Zimbabwe-prophet-s-attempt-prove-walk-air-falls-flat.html).
It's easy to laugh at the hoax, reminiscent of the famous 'diesel from the rocks' incident a decade ago, but the Vigil believes it helps explain the superstitious support for false prophet Mugabe and his creed of 'believe in me: I can perform miracles'.
Mugabe certainly has a faithful disciple in his nephew Indigenisation Minister Patrick Zhuwao. At a time when Finance Minister Chinamamsa is desperately trying to raise money abroad, Zhuwao says Zimbabwe doesn't need foreign direct investment: Mugabe is enough. Zanu PF's election manifesto must be implemented in full, he said. There must be no change in the indigenisation law and furthermore no job cuts.
Like Bushiri's credulous followers, Zhuwao believes his prophet is infallible and will lead us to the promised land, whatever the evidence to the contrary.
Every now and again a Zimbabwe story strikes a rich chord abroad, the shooting of Cecil the lion being a good example. However, the death of Cecil didn't really say much about Zimbabwe as he was well past his prime anyway.
Now a Zimbabwe website News24Zim has come up with a story that says something important about Zimbabwe (and neighbouring countries). It has been given splash treatment in the mass circulation Daily Mail here in the UK.
The story taps into one of the few thriving industries in Zimbabwe - the prosperity prophet phenomenon. The prophet involved this time is Malawi-born Shepherd Bushiri who claims to have a private jet so private that nobody can see it and to be able to walk on air (presumably when he is not using his private jet).
It's easy to laugh at the hoax, reminiscent of the famous 'diesel from the rocks' incident a decade ago, but the Vigil believes it helps explain the superstitious support for false prophet Mugabe and his creed of 'believe in me: I can perform miracles'.
Mugabe certainly has a faithful disciple in his nephew Indigenisation Minister Patrick Zhuwao. At a time when Finance Minister Chinamamsa is desperately trying to raise money abroad, Zhuwao says Zimbabwe doesn't need foreign direct investment: Mugabe is enough. Zanu PF's election manifesto must be implemented in full, he said. There must be no change in the indigenisation law and furthermore no job cuts.
Like Bushiri's credulous followers, Zhuwao believes his prophet is infallible and will lead us to the promised land, whatever the evidence to the contrary.
Source - Zimbabwe Vigil
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