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GBM’s decision to resign was a honourable one - CCZ

GBM’s decision to resign was a honourable one - CCZ
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 13 Sep. 2010, 14:00 CAT

KASAMA Central member of parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba's earlier decision to resign as member of parliament was a very honourable one, Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) have said.

And CCZ secretary general Reverand Susanne Matale has said Mwamba popularly known as GBM is trivializing gender violence which was a very serious matter. In an interview with Post online Rev. Matale described as disheartening the statement by GBM where he said wife battering was normal. Mwamba had last week battered his wife after a marital dispute.

The ordeal was followed by Mwamba's suspension from the position of elections chairman of PF by party president Micheal Sata who categorically stated that he hated violence and that he would not tolerate any form of violence whether it was coming from his party or other parties.

Police have since opened a docket on the case.

Rev. Matale condemned the position in trying to justify and trivialise gender based violence as normal.

“It is very disheartening to read that Mr Mwamba thinks beating women is normal. His behaviour is characteristic of an unaware, negligent and primeval human being, which I hope he is not. If my assertion is correct then he is not suitable to be a leader or a legislator or indeed a husband,” Rev. Matale charged.

“The culture Mr Mwamba is holding on to is no longer valid in the 21st Century. You do not batter your wife because you love her. This notion is contrary to the values of love, care, compassion, forgiving. Violence is not part of love.”

Rev. Matale who sounded emotional reminded Mwamba that women were not objects or tools for pleasure or mistreatment by men stressing that women were God’s creation who must be accorded full respect and equal treatment with men.

She has also advised Mwamba to desist from the public and drop into private life on moral grounds.

“He should take my earlier advice to drop out of sight into private life. Parliament should not tolerate men who are violent against women or indeed who are violent at any time. Mr Mwamba’s earlier decision to quit Parliament was a very honourable one. The moral equation far outweighs the cost of a by-election in my view,” she observed.

She noted that Parliament should come up with a mechanism that was going to deal with parliamentarians, whether male or female, who have violent characteristics like the one exhibited by Mwamba.

Meanwhile Matale has called on the leadership of the PF to firmly deal with Mwamba who they said should not be treated lightly.

“The PF should not treat him with kid gloves because he is a political leader and he cannot compare himself to everyone. He carries a responsibility to the nation, he should lead by example and he should not reduce himself to low levels of integrity. Gender violence is a very serious matter and should not be trivialised,” charged Rev. Matale.

Labels: CCZ, GBM, GEOFFREY MWAMBA, PF, SUZANNE MATALE

posted by MrK @ 6:14 AM