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Kaingu plays down public concerns over sangomas from S/Africa

Kaingu plays down public concerns over sangomas from S/Africa
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Thursday, April 02, 2009 3:19:47 PM

COMMUNITY development minister Michael Kaingu yesterday said public concerns surrounding the cleansing and healing services by South African sangomas on Zambian soil have been blown out of proportion.

And Kaingu said it is unfair and not right for some people to drag President Rupiah Banda's name into the whole issue.

In an interview at his office, Kaingu said while he did not want to contradict anybody's views over the sangomas' spiritual activities, he was of the view that people should respect divergent ways of worship.

"We may not believe that the sangomas have collected the spirits of the dead but for them they believe they have collected these people who died here," Kaingu said. "It has not dented Zambia in anyway."

He said as long as people were not practicing Satanism, they would be allowed to conduct their manner of worship and cultural expressions.

"There is no need for (Pastor Harrison) Kalumba to say my President should wear sack-clothes. It is unfair," he said.

Kaingu said if anybody should be attacked on the sangoma issue, it was himself because the policy on cultural issues fell under the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.

"We respect divergent views and it is because of that all the 73 tribes are living in harmony," said Kaingu.

Power Life Ministries Pastor Harrison Kalumba early this week asked President Banda to put on sack-clothes, fast and repent following his government's decision to allow sangomas to call on the spirits of the deceased African National Congress (ANC) freedom fighters who were buried in Zambia.

Pastor Kalumba said the act was an abomination that had defiled the land and urged the government to take responsibility.

Labels: SANGOMAS

posted by MrK @ 2:17 PM