WHEN MORALITY, MONEY AND POWER COLLIDE: The Real Story Behind the Bushiri–FAMA Fallout
The abrupt termination of the sponsorship agreement between Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Goshen City and the Film Association of Malawi (FAMA) is not a simple contractual misunderstanding. When the partnership was announced, it was framed as a MK100 million sponsorship deal. Evidence gathered by The Shire Times shows that Goshen City released MK48 million at the start of the agreement. This was later followed by an additional MK28 million, plus US$5,000 specifically meant to facilitate international guests at FAMA’s recent event held at the Bingu International Convention Centre. In total, Bushiri remitted over MK76 million—well beyond three quarters of the pledged amount.
Against this record, claims that Prophet Bushiri terminated the deal because he is financially broke collapse under their own weight. Bushiri is widely known in Malawi as a philanthropist of note. From football sponsorships such as Dedza Dynamos to numerous social interventions across the country, his footprint is visible and verifiable. He belongs to a rare class of Malawians who built wealth without political patronage—earning respect at home even when maligned abroad.
This is precisely why disparaging voices from outside Malawi often fail to resonate locally. Malawians judge by evidence, not noise.
So why did Goshen City pull the plug?
The answer lies less in money and more in brand integrity and moral alignment. In recent months, the leadership of FAMA—particularly its president, Dorothy Kingston—has been engulfed in controversy following the circulation of a photograph that is unmistakably sexual in tone. The image, which remains firmly in the public domain, depicts conduct many Malawians consider pornographic, culturally offensive, and grossly inappropriate for the head of a national cultural institution.
This was not a private moment stolen by intruders. It was a deliberate public portrayal. In a society rooted in cultural restraint and religious values, such exhibitionism from a national leader was bound to provoke discomfort and outrage.
Leadership is never only about titles; it is about example. When a leader publicly flouts the moral and cultural norms of the society they claim to represent, they drag their institution into disrepute. For a religious figure like Prophet Shepherd Bushiri—whose public ministry is built on preaching moral discipline, restraint, and spiritual accountability—continued association with such controversy would inevitably blur lines and damage credibility.
Brands do not exist in isolation. Reputations are shaped by association. In this context, terminating the partnership was not cowardice or financial retreat; it was reputational self-preservation.
More troubling, however, are the contradictions emerging from FAMA itself. The association initially acknowledged receiving MK48 million from Goshen City. Yet following the termination of the partnership, FAMA shifted its position, now claiming that the association only received MK28 million and US$5,000.
This contradiction raises serious and unavoidable questions.
If MK48 million was already received, how exactly was it used?
Why has the figure now been revised downward?
These are not minor accounting errors. They go to the heart of transparency and institutional integrity—qualities without which no association can command public trust or attract credible partners.
In the end, this controversy is bigger than Bushiri or FAMA. It is a warning to all associations: partnerships are sustained not only by money, but by moral clarity, credible leadership, and honest communication. Until FAMA confronts these issues openly and truthfully, reputable partners will continue to keep their distance.
A big tree needs no label. Malawians already know the truth. What they now demand is honesty.
