Maravi

Fr Luonde defends his statement on Rupiah

Fr Luonde defends his statement on Rupiah
By Speedwell Mupuchi in Kitwe
Tue 28 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT

WE are not enslaved to look sideways when things are wrong, says Kitwe based Anglican priest Fr Richard Luonde. And Kasama Catholic diocese Caritas coordinator Fr Nicholas Kaliminwa has said criticism was a show of love for the criticised individual.

Commenting on a statement attributed to Anglican Bishop David Njobvu, asking him to leave the church for criticising President Rupiah Banda’s leadership style, Fr Luonde said his statement published by The Post was in his individual capacity.

“We are not enslaved to look sideways when things are wrong; that’s why we are priests,” said Fr Luonde. “I was speaking as a Christian, and if I am asked to leave the church, where do I go?”

Fr Luonde last week said Zambia had drifted back to the 18th Century under President Rupiah Banda because he had managed to kill all 21st Century laws that enhance good governance.

He cited the removal of the abuse of office law from the Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

And Fr Kaliminwa urged people to protect goodness which overcomes evil. He said Fr Luonde as an individual had the right to talk about the right and wrong issues in society.

“That’s why even you in the media you give praise where it is due and criticise where it’s necessary. That’s where the conscience comes in; ‘what I am doing is wrong, let me stop, what I am doing is right, let me continue’.”

Fr Kaliminwa said God spoke through conscience and advised people to listen to that conscience. He said if Fr Luonde, in his statements, was promoting goodness, people should support him.

“If he was speaking as an individual, let’s respect that,” said Fr Kaliminwa. “We should reach a stage where we stop suspecting one another as politicians and the church.”

Meanwhile, Fr Frank Bwalya said no true church could ask its members, let alone, senior officers to leave the church for exercising their prophetic roles.
“As baptised Christians, we are all supposed to imitate Christ, the great prophet, the great priest, the great leader. I find it totally unacceptable, in fact, abominable that Bishop Njobvu should challenge Fr Luonde to quit the Anglican Church just because he spoke the truth of what is happening in the country,” he said.

“Everyone in Zambia knows that Rupiah Banda runs a corrupt government that has been destroying all achievements we have made in terms of entrenching good governance, rule of law and democracy. What Fr Luonde said is just an amplification of what majority Zambians are saying.”

Fr Bwalya said it was ridiculous to ask Fr Luonde to leave the church for the Red Card Campaign.

“Bishop Njobvu should know that if he continues to speak in the way he has been quoted in the Daily Mail, people will take him for a cheap MMD cadre,” said Fr Bwalya.

Labels: CORRUPTION, RICHARD LUONDE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:50 AM