Aim at reconciliation and not igniting fire, church told

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:02:39 +0000

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

THE Church must not be seen to take positions and decisions on political matters especially those with the potential to alienate and wedge divisions among the citizens, , says the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in Southern Province.

Southern province PF vice information and publicity secretary, Trymore Mwenda has since urged the Church in Zambia to remain the centre of national unity, reconciliation and a refuge for all regardless of one’s ethnic extraction, political or indeed religious persuasion.

Mr Mwenda was reacting to the three church mother bodies in Zambia that recently claimed that Zambia had slipped into dictatorship under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu.

The three church mother bodies led by Lusaka Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, held a joint media briefing on Friday at Lusaka’s Kapingila House, demanded for the release of the UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema forthwith and charged that Zambia was a now a dictatorship.

But in a statement, Mr Mwenda said the Church must not be seen to be taking political positions and decisions on political matters especially those with the potential to alienate and wedge divisions among citizens of Zambia.

“The Church has for a long time been a unifier, a peace maker by bringing together opposing political views like the case was in 1990 when the Church prevailed and organised a meeting between the Government of President Kenneth Kaunda and the opposition leading to the reintroduction of multi-party politics,

“Therefore the one sided approach of condemning, name calling and castigating the Government taken by the three Church mother bodies in their statement issued on Friday is a departure from Christ teachings of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace building among people holding opposing views,” Mr Mwenda said.