Tue, 28 Nov 2017 15:07:30 +0000
IT is shocking and unacceptable that a person aspiring to lead Zambia can associate himself with witchcraft, Church of God Cathedral of Miracles Bishop Naison Nyonyo has charged.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Bishop Nyonyo said no leader associated with superstition should be allowed in Zambia’s political arena.
“Zambia’s position is that we are a Christian nation and as such we expect our leaders to stand with Zambians because we declared ourselves as God’s followers. As such, every politician must be associated with the values and principles of Christianity.
“We appeal very strongly to all our politicians that there is need for the entire nation to believe in Christian principles. It is not right for people to aspire for the highest political office of the land and at the same time believe in witchcraft and other forms of darkness,” Bishop Nyonyo said.
He was commenting on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s revelation that some of his female members had to flock into Democratic Republic of Congo to seek witchcraft powers to secure his release from prison.
On Sunday Mr. Hichilema disclosed in Kitwe that some of his party members were crossing into the neighbouring DRC to secure his release from Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility where he and five others were incarcerated for more than 100 days on a treason charge.
Bishop Nyonyo said it was only fair for anyone seeking Zambia’s presidency to believe in God and stop associating themselves with forces of darkness.
“If you are seeking public office just ask for votes from the electorate. We as believers don’t side with people who believe in witchcraft. Every politician must believe in God because when you believe in God nothing is impossible.
“Christian values and principles require you to be straight and clean. Frankly speaking, Zambia needs a Christian to lead it and if you are not a Christian you are not welcome. We look forward to God-fearing leaders and not those who associate themselves with people who have publicly confessed that they sleep at the graveyard,” he said.
Early this year, Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people, Mr. Hichilema’s close ally and business partner, boasted that he did not fear to go to jail because he had spent seven nights at the graveyard in pitch darkness.
And Evangelical youth alliance President Rev Moses Lungu says it is very shocking that a person like HH who aspires to be a president of a Christian nation can take pride in associating himself with people practising witchcraft.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Rev. Lungu said that it was not the first time that UPND president was connected to people who openly declared that they were practicing witchcraft.
“Zambia is a Christian nation and it is very surprising that Mr Hakainde is always associated with such people, last time his mentor chief Mukuni told us that he spent nights at the graveyard and this time he is saying people went to DRC to engage in witchcraft to facilitate for his release from prison, now as Christians is this the kind of leader God can give us? I don’t think so,” he said.
Rev Lungu said the country could not be entrusted in people who associated with people who believed in witchcraft as it was against the principles of Christianity.
He said well-meaning citizens should condemn politicians like Mr Hichilema who did not respect the fact that Zambians adhered to Christianity and its values.
He further noted that Catholic bishops were busy supporting and calling for the release of HH when he was busy using witchcraft to facilitate for his release.
