Mon, 24 Apr 2017 10:24:40 +0000
Tribalism: silence from Catholic church worrying?
Dear Editor,
I would like to commend the Police in Southern Province for arresting the perpetrators of violence in the Southern Province.
At the same time I wish to raise my concern about the silence of the Catholic church in the face of the violence that was first and foremost ethnic and politically related.
The church is seemingly scared of speaking out against tribalism and the danger it poses to the country. The violence in Southern Province was ethnic, just as was the Chintu Chaitwa conference which was a harbinger to more recent developments.
The failure by the church to attack this ethnic related violence is very dangerous because it renders itself irrelevant even in times of crisis when the voice of moderation and compromise is required.
The church is supposed to hold the moral high ground and authority to provide oversight and guide the nation when things go wrong, hence my concern about the silence of the church when so many people were made hopeless by mindless violence that drove families out of the Southern Province because they did not hail from there and were suspected to be Patriotic Front members.
These families had to be evacuated after their homes were torched and destroyed by UPND cadres who have now been arrested after hiding in the community for many months where they were being protected.
The Catholic Church in Burundi and Rwanda lost its relevance when it failed to speak out against ethnic violence.
It should not be that the church only speaks out to condemn a Government in power while ignoring the tell-tale signs of a brooding calamitous situation in the country.
Tribalism and those who perpetrate it must be condemned in the strongest terms possible because any form of violence based in these differences will have very far reaching consequences for the country.
Melody Ndunga
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Chief Nalubamba has a hot tongue for a leader
Dear Editor,
IT is chiefs like Nalubamba of Southern Province who do not add any value to the promotion of peace and development in the country by being openly tribal.
The sheer fact that one of theirs has broken the law, they now want flex their irrational traditional muscles in show of support.
I wonder whether Nalubamba would come out so strongly if the man or woman incarcerated was not a Tonga. Poor Mwaliteta no chiefs for him!
Hear me again all yee Tongas that if you are looking for a Tonga president you will not find one but instead look for a Zambian president who could be Tonga, Nyanja, Lozi, Bemba, Kaonde, Luvale, Lunda, Tumbuka etc.
Please Nalubamba restrict yourself to your area because you do not have the millions of Zambians which you claim would be touched if someone ‘mess with HH’s life’
What kind of a chief are you who instead of promoting peace and unity of purpose in the nation you want to stand on top of an ant hill to create tension.
Anyway other progressive chiefs in Southern Province have already spoken and expressed their desire to work with the current government to foster government.
I come from Eastern Province but I have a beautiful daughter with a Tonga woman while my late wife came from Western Province, Kalabo to be specific so unlike you I will not spend my life being a tribe.
It is not only old fashioned but a total waste of time and does not add value to the lives of those pushing issues on tribal lines.
So Nalubamba who is Ila and Mukuni who is Toka-Leya had better watch their mouths by providing leadership of hope because raising people’s tempers, if that is what they want, they would be wasting their time.
What has happened has happened. It is bad but what do you expect if someone breaks the law? Justice of course and that is awaiting HH.
As for me most of my friends are Tongas and Lozis because I do not look at them on the tribal lines but human beings and more importantly, Zambians.
Together we shall all beautifully sing ‘One Zambia One Nation’
Josiah Soko, Salima Road, Matero
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Eric Shultz leave us alone
Dear Editor
MR Schultz has a lot of issues in his home country ranging from racism targeted at African-Americans, crime, riots against his president Trump to keep his mind busy instead of picking on easy Zambia.
I know that his country is a super power, so what? I wish to tell him that even in poverty there is some measure of honour.
So if he is going to blindly support wrongs in our country then he is in a wrong place.
US is not a member of ICC, have lost our sleep over it? No, because we all know that was the American decision which must be respected although we know why. I think he should be in the forefront cementing and promoting sound relations between Washington and Lusaka instead of taking roots in local politics which he hardly understands.
For now let Mr Schultz help strengthen the badly done AGOA which has not performed to its expectation for obvious reasons.
Aggrey Thomas Chanda
LUSAKA
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Under 20 national team players to receive winning bonuses
Dear Editor,
It is good that the junior Chipolopolo boys will receive their winning bonuses this week.
The Zambia under 20 national team won the all the games during the Total under 20 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament in Group A and emerged victorious.
The national team players were wondering as to why the Football Association of Zambia has not yet paid the junior Chipolopolo boys their winning bonuses having won the coveted trophy for the tournament which was hosted by Zambia from February 26, 2017 to March 12, 2017.
The delay was compounded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to release the prize money of US$250, 00.00 to the junior AfCON winners.
The winning bonuses will motivate the team as it will as it will participate in the South Korea 2017 under 20 World Cup football tournament commencing on May 20, 2017.
ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka.
