By NATION REPORTER
WE are requesting Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Stanley Kakubo to explain how they allowed a group of non-governmental organisations to meet at a lodge in Siavonga to secretly strategise to decriminalise homosexuality, Pentecostal Assemblies of Africa (PAOA) President Joshua Banda has said.
Bishop Banda said they were requesting the UPND government to explain clearly its apparent tolerance of practices that were directly in conflict with Zambian cultural values.
Clarity was needed to establish if indeed the government had quietly decided to open doors to homosexuality and lesbianism which were explicitly prohibited in Scripture.
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, while in opposition, promised not to entertain homosexual and lesbian rights, and this is one of the reasons the people of Zambia were confident to elect him to the office of President of the Republic.
“The recent events are therefore troubling and require clarity from Government. If there has been a change of Government policy, it is better that this is stated clearly and openly,” he said.
Bishop Banda the Zambia Police needed to investigate the NGOs that met at the unnamed lodge in Siavonga for breaking the law by secretly strategising to decriminalise homosexuality.
He said the act of flying the rainbow flags by the Swedish and Finnish embassies was an attempt to test the waters again but that the country’s response was clear.
He said Zambia had said no to LGBTQ propaganda and maintained that there was no need to push leaders and or twist their arms.
Bishop Banda said apart from the national values and principles enshrined in Part II, Article 8 of the Zambia constitution, the African Union had two key points out of nine espoused priority tenets on its Action plan for the African family.
“We further demand that the proprietor of that facility be taken in for questioning for breaking the law. An apology too, from the embassies of Finland and Sweden would be in order,” he said.
He said standing in firm solidarity with others in the Body of Christ, the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Zambia (PAOGZ) Council of Bishops was deeply concerned and highly disappointed that LBGTQI ideas were being promoted blatantly on Zambian soil by some members of the diplomatic corps on the one hand and being planned for in secrecy by some NGOs on the other. This is a war against our families, present and future.
Bishop Banda said homosexuality and lesbianism might be practiced by certain individuals in the republic and the country was aware without burying heads in the sand regarding this reality as it remains a fact that they are illegal practices.
He said the Penal Code Section 155 prohibited sex between men with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Bishop Banda said section 156 prohibited any attempt to commit unnatural offences prohibited under Section 155 with a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
Section 158 prohibits acts of gross indecency both between men and between women, with a maximum penalty of fourteen years imprisonment.
“Lest we forget, various Western governments have been at the push for LGBTQI agenda for a while.
Therefore, the infamous rainbow flag incident of May 17, 2022 should not be seen as an isolated event.”
Bishop Banda said the PAOGZ believed homosexuality and lesbianism were treatable conditions which required empathy to bring affected individuals to a place of liberty and healing.
Individual gays are merely being exploited by sponsors of liberal democracy and we will not vouch for that.
“We resist this war against our consciences and our families, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,” he said.
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