Today's letters to the editor

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 09:20:41 +0000

Too frank on Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu

Dear Editor,

I read with keen interest and wonder the Daily Nation’s article on the Kapatu Parish-born Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphore Mpundu who originally hails from Northern Province, in a newspaper that is a must-read every day.

The story (“Churches denounce dictatorship claim”, Daily Nation, June 19, 2017) which started truthfully by bringing out some of the questionable Christian standing of the meeting by some church bodies at Kapingila House last week in obvious ways, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) board actually came out with gloves off hitting the not so remorseful Catholic Bishop so hard, almost as if it had something personal against the Catholic man of God.

It further charged that some church leaders who presided over the church bodies’ meeting at Kapingila House were knowingly sowing seeds of discord and inciting people to rise against the government of the day.

And not to be outdone and seen to be left out, United Church of Zambia (UCZ) a member of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) distanced itself from a statement issued by Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu that the country was sliding into a dictatorship because of the incarceration for treason of the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema at Mukobeko Maximum Prison.

Meanwhile, in subtle ways, Ndola Diocese Catholic Bishop Alick Banda charged that those aggrieved by the outcome of the 2016 elections were the ones who should make a commitment towards the reconciliation process by first recognizing one another as that was one of the fundamentals to the process.

Undoubtedly, this was in direct reference to the incarcerated UPND leader.

And Chipata Diocese Catholic Bishop Benjamin Phiri has equally distanced himself from the allegedly crafted Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB)’s statement that was overtly issued by Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu at Kapingila House that led the former saying that, it was the latter’s personal and individual handiwork that had no blessings from any other Catholic bishop in Zambia.

One is left wondering: Who is playing to the UPND partisan gallery, is it other Christian leaders or the Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphore Mpundu?

By all accounts, other church leaders have been too frank on Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu. What happens next? No one knows.

Mubanga Luchembe, LUSAKA

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Who is Archbishop Mpundu representing?

Dear Editor,

May I express my disappointment with the Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu’s statement which he lied about that it represented the 3 mother church bodies?

Now since we have heard from EFZ and other Bishops in the Catholic Church that they are not part of that statement, all I can say is the Archbishop lied and his statement had potential to insight the nation into chaos.

He is a liability to both the Church body and the country. He must account for his carelessness both to the 3 mother bodies and the government.

If he can’t resign, he must be fired. He is abusing his office to run his political interest and endangering our country.

Why is he always against the government? Is he considered infallible and untouchable?

I suggest that he is sued for lying that he was speaking on behalf of the church and the Catholic Church should demote him for misrepresenting them. He is representing UPND.

Bishop Alick Malama

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Response to church mother bodies

Dear Editor

It highly disturbing when the Church starts slowly becoming the mouth piece of the opposition party.

We have received the utterances by the church mother bodies over state of the nation.

But first of all why did the bodies allow the opposition leaders to be in attendance at the press briefing?

This clearly demonstrates that the church has stopped listening to God but to opposition leaders.

Why is the church not condemning the behaviour of the UPND MPs for walking out of parliament?

Why is the church not advising the UPND and HH to recognize and respect the President of this country His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu?

Why has the church kept quiet when people perceived to be PF were beaten by the UPND?

I want to challenge the CCZ affiliates to come out openly and confirm if CCZ consulted them.

Was the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) consulted? Was the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ) consulted?

What about other affiliates and member churches, did the statement from CCZ represent them well. The mother bodies should know that churches like the UCZ, RCZ, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church and many others can do without them?

These churches have the capacity to represent themselves.

The so-called mother bodies if they continue to allow individuals who have scores to settle with the government of the day will soon lose their saltiness.

As PF youths in Matero we are not only disappointed with the mother bodies but also feel they are misrepresenting their member churches and affiliates.

The church should learn to balance and take highly extra sensitive approach to political issues. The PF government has its door open to all faith groups provided such grouping should not have influence in their avenues by the misguided politicians.

And claims by the mother bodies that Zambia is dictatorship state is total misplaced and an engine statement from the enemies of Zambia.

Zambia is at peace and those who feel offended by that peace like mother bodies should tell the national the truth why they have sunk so low to be used by the politicians who want to destroy the image of our country abroad.

Finally, we call for the mother bodies who issued that baseless statement to repent before God for misleading the nation and God is faithful to forgive them.

We urge them to seek the face God and pray that they should withstand the temptation to be used.

Stanley Mwamba Kafula, Matero patriot front, Youth secretary

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Heed President Lungu’s directive

Dear Editor

I write to commend President Lungu on his instruction to the newly sworn in Commissioner of Civil Service Mr Chasaya to bring sanity in civil service.

The President categorically implored the new Commissioner to make sure politics is left to politicians while civil servants embark on service delivery to the general populous.

We have seen in the past where civil servants especially teachers have engaged in politics where they have even been fused in political party structures against their professional norm.

The President’s instruction should now make all civil servants in political party structures relinquish their positions so that they are not seen as partisan.

Politics by nature is a battle for opposing views and when you have a civil servant in politics means you would have compromised the conduct of the profession.

Lastly, I congratulate the President for his boldness stance after realizing this lapse to for once bring sanity in Civil Service.

Wisdom Muyunda, Chingola