Minister courts investors to Goshen City project 

Minister of Local Government Blessings Chinsinga has asked investors to capitalise on Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Goshen City project, describing it as Malawi’s next big thing.

In an interview on the sidelines of a multi-stakeholder meeting in Blantyre on Friday, the minister said government is interested to see the project become a success, saying it is important in the realisation of the country’s development agenda, Malawi 2063 (MW2063).

Chinsinga said: “Government and my ministry, in particular, is keen on the success of the Goshen City project. This is because it gives us an impetus to the secondary cities projects as espoused in the country’s long-term development blueprint [MW2063].”

He said he was impressed that Bushiri, who is also founder of the Enlightened Church Gathering (ECG)-The Jesus Nation, explained during the multi-stakeholder meeting that the economic benefits in the project are not for him as an individual, but for Malawi as a country.

Chinsinga said Malawians must look at the benefits of the project from a broader perspective and not in isolation if they want to invest, adding that the government will render its support for the success of the project where necessary.

In a separate interview, Bushiri said the aim of the multi-stakeholder meeting, which was the first on the project, was to provide awareness about the Goshen City project.

He said: “In fact, for now we are targeting the different institutions and after that we will also target communities. We started with the government first, so now we are on institutions, companies and different stakeholders.

“It is all about awareness, what Goshen City is and how stakeholders can come in to partner or how to do business with mutual benefits with Goshen City.”

One of the business moguls that attended the meeting, Jimmy Koreia Mpatsa, described the Goshen City project concept as impressive and offering good investment opportunities.

The upcoming Goshen City is touted as a smart, iconic and green city. It is being built in Monkey Bay, Mangochi and will have a hub value proposition which will include agribusiness, finance, education, technology, tourism and medical.

The city project site is located about four kilometres from the Mangochi-Monkey Bay-Golomoti T-junction on the right hand side of the road to Monkey Bay before the junction to Cape Maclear. It extends from the Mangochi-Monkey Bay Road to the beaches of Lake Malawi.

The first phase of Goshen City will cost $50 million and will include residential housing units, a five-star hotel and a 5 000-seat international convention centre.