PF will not scandalise church, says Bwalya

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:06:31 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya says the PF government will not scandalize church leaders for raising concerns on the governance of the country whether such concerns are based on accurate analysis or not.

Mr Bwalya said the manner in which the Patriotic Front government has responded to the statement by the leader of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu spoke volumes about the respect President Edgar Lungu’s government has for the church in Zambia.

He said the party was impressed by the approach and choice of words by the Chief Government spokesperson Ms Kampamba Mulenga in her prudent response to the statement by Archbishop Mpundu.

“In the past statements such as the one by the Catholic clergyman received sharp and harsh reactions. Cadres were allowed to ridicule sources of such statements and in some cases even threaten violence. But President Lungu has introduced a new culture of dialogue based on mutual respect. This democratic tenet is a hallmark of President Lungu’s leadership and will feature prominently on his legacy.

“Given President Lungu’s appreciation of the work of evangelization by the Catholic Church and other Christian churches in Zambia, we are not surprised that his Government has taken a concilliatory and not antagonistic approach despite being on firm ground to dispute the contents of the statement,” Mr Bwalya said.

The former Catholic priest urged Archbishop Mpundu not to doubt the sincerity of the PF government to dialogue with the Catholic Church leadership and the church leadership in general.

“In the same vein we wish to encourage the archbishop to heed the request by Government spokesperson Ms Mulenga to engage the United Party for National Development (UPND) regarding issues that can cause unnecessary conflict, including their refusal to recognize a duly elected and validly sworn in republican President.

“Many Zambians believe this is important because they think it is what made the UPND leader and his members refuse to follow the law regarding the presidential motorcade in Mongu recently. Finally, we are sure that Catholics in Zambia will continue to appreciate the God-fearing leadership of President Lungu that makes him embrace the clergy and value their voice,” he said.