By NOEL IYOMBWA
THE Bishops Council of Zambia (BCZ) has protested the decision by the government to scrap off the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs.
BCZ General Secretary, Able Kaela, demanded that government should rescind its decision and bring back the ministry.
He questioned why the new administration had done away with the ministry, saying that it was an important link between the church and government.
Bishop Kaela said that the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs was the pillar as far as Zambia being a Christian nation was concerned.
He said that the ministry was playing a vital role in guiding the country on moral issues, adding that the move was not in good taste and that all citizens, especially the church, should condemn the decision.
Bishop Kaela said the ministry was necessary in upholding the nation’s Christianity.
“The move is not right because the ministry was a pillar of Christianity in the nation. If you look at the money which the ministry was using, it was not much compared to other ministries.
“Government should rescind its decision and bring back the ministry because Zambia is a Christian nation,” he said.
President Hakainde Hichilema has reduced the number of ministries from 28 to 25.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance is one of the ministries which had been scrapped.
Mr Hichilema has also merged some of the ministries and introduced new ministries.
