‘Shimpundu Pankoloko’ accuses Mulongoti of intimidation
By Speedwell Mupuchi in Kitwe
Mon 27 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT
MMD’s Alex Mubanga aka Shimpundu Pankoloko has complained of intimidation from Mike Mulongoti over his support for George Kunda’s candidature for the party vice-presidency. But Mulongoti said he did not threaten Mubanga but merely advised him to keep quiet since he was on suspension.
In an interview, Mubanga said following his statement supporting Vice-President Kunda, MMD elections chairman Mulongoti phoned him in the morning to tell him that his mouth would land him in problems.
“He Mulongoti phoned me, telling me that ‘your mouth will cause problems for you; you are too fast on certain issues and some issues are above you’,” complained Mubanga on Friday.
Mulongoti, Webby Chipili, Enoch Kavindele, Vice-President Kunda and Captain Austin Chewe have been named among those interested in the position of MMD vice-president at the convention next year.
Mubanga complained that he felt threatened by Mulongoti’s words.
He wondered why he should be warned over his support of what he termed the right and suitable candidate.
Mubanga said the other contestants were sending emissaries to canvass support for them at provincial conferences while Vice-President Kunda was busy with national duties.
“I felt very uncomfortable with my elder brother Honourable Mulongoti. His name has been mentioned among the contestants. This amounts to intimidation. According to the party tradition, we follow the incumbency; the President gets the MMD presidency and his vice, the vice-presidency,” said Mubanga.
Mubanga said his support of Vice-President Kunda was out of principle and he could not change his position.
When contacted for comment, Mulongoti asked whether or not Mubanga had talked about the background to the issue.
“Shimpundu called me sometime back; he wanted to contest in the current elections. He wanted me to plead for him because he’s been on suspension. I told him ‘calm down, you are on suspension’, till time comes. His friend, Morgan Ntankula, came to my office this morning over Shimpundu’s statement and I advised him to call him,” Mulongoti said.
“So his friend was counselling him to keep quiet and not issue statements since he was still on suspension. At the end of their conversation, that’s when I said ‘bring the phone so that I can also talk to him’.
I told him Mubanga that 'even before your suspension is lifted, you are issuing statements. Please, how are we going to help you in your matter?'
If he thinks I threatened him, that’s his problem. I was merely helping to counsel him.
He was suspended last time for the same reason; I think he issued some statements that annoyed the President. I said 'you are still on suspension on account of your careless talk’.”
And Copperbelt youth vice-chairperson Ntankula said Mubanga would only be free to comment on party matters when his suspension is lifted.
“We told him to keep quiet as at now until his matter is resolved. When he is cleared, he is a free man afterwards to comment on any matters concerning the party. He knows the rules of the game. Why should we threaten him?” said Ntankula.
Mubanga said he appealed to Mulongoti to facilitate the lifting of his suspension.
“They declared an amnesty but for me they said my matter is before the President.
Now when you say ‘akanwa kobe kakakuletelela, suppose the person you are supporting loses an election, will you not be creating enemies?’ what does that mean?” asked Mubanga.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, MIKE MULONGOTI, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
Kunda is no match for me - Kavindele
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 26 Dec. 2010, 04:02 CAT
ENOCH Kavindele says he will give George Kunda and others a good run for the MMD vice-presidency. In an interview, Kavindele said the Republican Vice-President’s incumbency will not guarantee George Kunda the party’s second highest position.
“I will certainly give them a good run for their money, and I am well known to all MMD members vis-a-vis my organising ability. In the last elections of 2001, late General Christon Tembo had gone to form the FDD, General Godfrey Miyanda HP (Heritage Party), Sata had gone to form PF,” Kavindele said.
“Mr Frederick Chiluba was retiring. So it was left to me now to get the party to win, and I did deliver.
So our members have not forgotten.”
Kavindele said Vice-President Kunda and the three other Cabinet ministers challenging him for the vice-presidency at the forthcoming MMD national convention were no match to him.
“I wish to remind them that each of us has a record of performance. My ability to organise the MMD party cannot be matched by anyone of those…the fact that he Kunda is able to go to places or wherever our people are congregated means very little in this game,” Kavindele said.
“When I was elected vice-president of the party at the convention, the other person who stood against me had gone round the countryside funding those who were to come to the convention. And when it came to the convention, the people who had been funded did not vote for him.”
And prominent Ndola based MMD member Alex Mubanga popularly known as shimpundu pa nkoloko said he supports Vice-President Kunda for the MMD vice-presidency because he has worked extremely hard.
And reacting to Vice-President Kunda’s assertions that UPND president Hakainde Hichilema was corrupt for failing to account for US$12 million privatisation money, Kavindele asked Kunda to stop issuing misleading statements.
“Although HH’s company was the receiver of the funds from Binani to pay certain commitments, they only paid professional fees of about US$200,000 and not the figure being quoted by Mr Kunda,” Kavindele said.
“At the time some similar malicious statement had been made against HH and late Levy Mwanawasa ordered an inquiry which Kunda was privy to as Attorney General and nothing of a that sort came out. It is therefore a little bit malicious to make the statement he has made against HH.”
Kavindele said it was important for those in government to issue factual statements because the same could be done against them when they were out of power.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, DEFAMATION, ENOCH KAVINDELE, GEORGE KUNDA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
Read more...
Halt new culture of violence - Kavindele
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 15 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT
ENOCH Kavindele yesterday asked the MMD top leadership to stop the new culture of violence which has gripped the party. And Kavindele yesterday observed that threatening donors to stop meeting Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata is an infringement on their rights.
Reacting to the warning from MMD Ndola district information and publicity secretary Alex Mubanga for him to choose between his life and attending the party convention, Kavindele said he would talk to the police over the threats. He said he expected the police to investigate and get to the bottom of the matter.
Kavindele said as a senior MMD member, he was very surprised at the new phenomenon of violence in the party. He said the MMD had always been a competitive party which allowed for people to contest for positions.
Kavindele said the first president of MMD, Frederick Chiluba, competed against the likes of Humphrey Mulemba and Author Wina, adding that late president Levy Mwanawasa was allowed to challenge Chiluba after issuing strong statements against him.
He said Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda freely challenged former Republican vice-president late Lieutenant General Christone Tembo for the party vice-presidency.
Kavindele said those who were provoking violence in MMD risked being victims of the same violence they were promoting. He said the violence by MMD cadres should not be allowed to escalate.
“We are seeing history repeating itself. When former Republican vice-presidenct Simon Kapwepwe was attacked by political thugs, many people were disgusted and they left. They abandoned UNIP. This is a new phenomenon in the MMD. We have always competed for positions,” Kavindele said.
Kavindele said he could not be stopped from going to the convention just because someone had issued a threat.
Mubanga, popularly known as Shimpundu pa Nkoloko, on Wednesday warned that the MMD militia of the Copperbelt and the Jumbo crack squad of Lusaka would batter Kavindele at the convention.
And commenting on Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga’s warning that some diplomatic missions should not be surprised if diplomatic sanctions were imposed on them for meeting Sata, Kavindele said there was a similar move in the 1980s to restrict the movement of diplomats to a radius of 25 kilometres, but that failed to work. He said it was learnt that the action by government infringed on the right of association and movement.
Asked if it there was a provision to stop diplomats from meetings opposition leaders, Kavindele said: “There isn’t, because I have told you that it even infringes on the Constitution of Zambia; free movement of people and freedom of association with people they like.”
Kavindele said diplomats by virtue of their job had to report to their countries of events happening in countries where they served.
“That information is sent by talking to players in the country. It is difficult to police because they can meet Sata if they want to at Sata’s house or at their embassy houses,” he said.
Kavindele said Sata’s meetings with diplomats might even be to the interest of the MMD. He said Sata should meet as many diplomats as he could because they could use their meetings with him to assess his suitability, both as an opposition leader and one seeking high office.
“I know diplomats don’t vote but certainly they do have an interest on what goes on in a country that they support economically,” said Kavindele.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
MMD suspends official for threatening to beat up Kavindele
Thursday, October 14, 2010, 16:49
The MMD in Ndola has with immediate effect suspended its Vice Secretary for Publicity and Information Alex Mubanga for threatening to beat up Former Vice President Enock Kavindele at the fourth coming national convention. The suspension has been announced by Ndola District Executive Chairman Cephas Katongo thursday.
Mr Kayongo says the MMD is a responsible party which should not condone irresponsible statements from its members like the one attributed to Mr Mubanga in Thursday’s issue of the Post Newspaper. Mr Katongo said the MMD has no crack squad and people should ignore such utterances which he said are misplaced.
He said the ruling party will continue to protect everyone in Zambia and will not habour any militia.
Mr Katongo said Mr Kavindele is free to attend the national convention and contest any position of his choice.
He however said no one will vote for him because the district has already resolved to support President Rupiah Banda.
And Mr Mubanga has accepted his suspension saying he is a loyal member of the party and will respect any action taken against him by any organ of the party.
[ZNBC]
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
'Death sentence' hangs over Kavindele
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola and Speedwell Mupuchi in Kitwe
Thu 14 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
MMD Ndola district information and publicity secretary Alex Mubanga has warned former vice-president Enoch Kavindele to choose between his life and attending the party convention saying, “akafwila ku convention”.Mubanga, popularly known as Shimpundu pa Nkoloko, yesterday warned that the
MMD militia of the Copperbelt and the
Jumbo crack squad of Lusaka would
batter Kavindele at the convention.
Kavindele has expressed interest in defending his position as MMD vice-president since he had never been replaced since his election years back.
However, MMD cadres have intimated that the position of MMD vice-president at the convention was reserved for Republican Vice-President George Kunda and have warned Kavindele about going to the MMD convention.
And Mubanga yesterday said Kavindele was a social and political misfit who could not be trusted to run party affairs.
“Kavindele should choose between his life and going to the convention. If he wants to die, let him come to the convention. The idea of provoking the MMD crack squad is not good at all. We are patient but we can be very lethal when dealing with people like Kavindele,” Mubanga said.
“If Kavindele wants, let him go and stand for women affairs in PF, the party he has been sympathising with so much. But one thing is for sure, we are going to deal with any person who wants to bring confusion in our party.”
Mubanga said the MMD party and government had changed and was running smoothly because it was been led by a father of high morals and values.
He said Kavindele had sprung up from nowhere making weird declarations that he wanted to stand as MMD vice-president.
“As MMD in Ndola, we are warning Kavindele to keep away from our politics. We don’t consider him as a member any more. He ceased to be a member in 2006 when he left the party and stood as an independent. As MMD Ndola, we have never welcomed him. He is always bringing confusion in the party whenever there are elections in the country,” Mubanga said.
“I want to tell Kavindele that the MMD party vice-president has been reserved for only one person and that is His Honour the Vice-President himself, George Kunda. And this issue cannot be over emphasized. But if Kavindele wants to dare us, let him ask Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda and Edith Nawakwi, what happened to them.”
Mubanga said that Vice-President Kunda had been loyal to President Banda and that it was time to award him with the MMD party vice-presidency.
He said Vice-President Kunda was insulted by the opposition because of the love he had for President Banda and that the MMD in Ndola wanted him to be party vice-president.
“I dare people like Kavindele, George Mpombo and Jonas Shakafuswa to come near the convention venue. If it is death you are asking for, come. The crack squad is for sure going to deal with you. As one of the generals of the squad, I have given you people a timely warning. If you really want to die, please come for the convention because on that day, no one will contain us,” Mubanga said.
But MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu said beating up people was not a party policy and he dismissed the crack squads as non-existent.
“We are a very peaceful party, it’s not true that we have these groupings (crack squad of the Copperbelt and jumbo crack squad of Lusaka). What we have is a very strong youth wing, just like other parties do have youth wings,” Nyangu said.
Reminded that MMD members had persistently brought up the issue of the crack squads, Nyangu insisted that such groups were not in the party.
On threats on Kavindele’s life, Nyangu said maybe Mubanga was misquoted. But when told that Mubanga actually uttered the words, Nyangu said he would investigate the matter.
However, Nyangu, said MMD members not in good standing with the party would not see the inside of their convention.
“This is a blanket statement, people must be disciplined. All those facing disciplinary action will not be allowed at the convention,” said Nyangu.
Asked whether Kavindele was among members not in good standing and facing disciplinary action, Nyangu responded: “We have no qualms with Mr. Kavindele as far as the top hierarchy is concerned. But this issue of Mr. Kavindele I don’t want to comment on.”
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, CADRES, DEATH THREATS, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
C/belt MMD backs Chibale on threats against Duffy
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Fri 08 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
MMD Ndola district vice publicity and information secretary Alex Mubanga has disclosed that Chiko Chibale’s militia action threats against Bishop Paul Duffy have the blessing of the party on the Copperbelt. But former Eastern Province MMD youth chairperson Luca Banda has advised Chibale to apologise to Bishop Duffy for threatening violence against him.
In an interview in Ndola yesterday, Mubanga, popularly known as Shimpundu Pankoloko said that the MMD was not going to sit and watch people insult President Rupiah Banda, and that Chibale was doing the right thing to warn people who speak ill of the head of state.
He warned all opposition parties and the Catholic Church to keep “their dirty hands off Chiko Chibale” because the MMD on the Copperbelt was going to ambush them.
“I want to warn anyone, especially the opposition and the Catholic Church to keep their dirty hands off Chiko Chibale. What Bishop Duffy said was wrong, MMD members were not happy. So this is the reason why Chiko is upset, people should not be insulting President Banda like that, it is wrong. What Chiko is doing has the blessing of the MMD on the Copperbelt,” he said.
Mubanga said that the MMD were also angered by Priestly order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate treasurer general Fr Godfrey Mpundu’s statement that people of Western Province were better off voting for a frog than the impotent MMD.
“Does that man know what to be impotent is? I think he doesn’t and I know why. If the Catholic Church has nothing to offer any more they better keep quiet than insult the Republican President. President Banda is President of Zambia because God said so,” he said.
He said that the MMD was ready for anyone who is going to insult President Banda and that they (MMD) were not going to let anyone, not even the Catholic Church to insult President Banda.
He alleged that the people had lost respect for the Catholic Church because their teaching had changed from salvation to insults.
Mubanga said that he was disappointed with some priests in the Catholic Church and the way they were coming out on political issues and how they have decided to insult the President rather than preach unity.
“I am Catholic but I don’t support what some priests are doing. Bishop Mpundu was a well-respected man of God, but he is not anymore. The Catholic Church has lost value and respect and it is because of these same priests who are preaching insults,” he said.
“The Catholic Church should concentrate on preaching and not interfere with the country’s politics. The MMD on the Copperbelt are not going to fold their hands and watch people insult their President. We are ready for anyone. Keep you hands off Chiko; mess with him and you mess with every MMD member on the Copperbelt.”
Last week Chibale said he had no apologies to make over his threats to use MMD militia on the Copperbelt for which he is the commander to go and manhandle Bishop Duffy for stating that people of Western Province want a change of government.
And Mansa Catholic Diocese vicar-general Fr Mambwe Mpasa challenged President Banda and the MMD leadership to tell the nation if they were behind the MMD crack squad threatening violence on Bishop Duffy.
But Banda, in an interview, said Chibale should apologise to Bishop Duffy because politics was not about fighting.
“I would advise my brother to leave Duffy alone. We should not use blows or engage in any form of violence but we should just becampaigning.
I am not happy with that (Chibale’s) statement but again Duffy seem to be lost he is like a political vuvuzela, but he should leave him,” Banda said.
He said youths like Chibale should just be campaigning for President Rupiah Banda, not engaging in violent activities.
Banda said he would next month contest the Eastern Province youth chairmanship because the youth wing was dormant in the province.
“I was a youth chairperson before the current one but the youths are not working so I am coming back with full force to campaign for President Banda. We want to campaign for RB so that he can get more than 100 per cent votes in Eastern Province.
Youths are getting National Registration Cards so that they could also vote next year,” Banda said. And Petauke district Patriotic Front youth chairperson Grey Daka said those that are in politics should be ready to be criticised.
Daka urged Zambia to choose right people during next year's elections.
“We want leaders that can perform and are ready to be criticised because that’s why we have opposition political parties. To me I think it’s not good to threaten Bishop Duffy because those are the right people to advise the government. I ask people from the church like bishops, reverends, chiefs and other leaders to assist people choose right leaders next year,” Daka said.
He said many elected leaders in the province have not performed to expectations and that most of them were now frequenting their areas because of the general elections that were due next year.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, COPPERBELT PROVINCE, MMD, PAUL DUFFY, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Read more...
MMD should be like an attractive woman – Siliya
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Mon 10 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
Education minister Dora Siliya with Alex Mubanga alias Shimpundu Pankoloko during the MMD card renewal exercise in Ndola on Saturday - Picture by Abel Mambwe
MMD should be like a beautiful woman who attracts people, party spokesperson Dora Siliya has said.
During the third card renewal exercise in Ndola on Saturday, Siliya asked party members to work hard because victory will not come if they fold their arms.
She said the MMD government had a correct plan for the country and should therefore continue selling itself if it wanted to continue in government.
“What we want is to have a landslide victory. This landslide victory is not going to come with folded hands. We must sell ourselves and a party is supposed to be like a beautiful woman who attracts people. The party has to attend to the branches because that is where the people are,” she said.
Siliya also said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was only interested in going to State House and wondered how he could win an election when his party was only popular in one province.
She said the pact should not waste people’s time because all it wanted was for white people to love them.
Siliya said her government was still working hard to improve the economy and not daydreaming that money would come into people’s pockets.
“I want to talk about the local government. We as government have not failed to give them the grants and the CDF (Constituency Development Funds). We give them the money. You are saying roads are bad, we have given the councils money to repair roads, where is the money, this is why President Banda decided to come here on the Copperbelt to expose what the councils are doing,” she said.
“Ndola was on fire when late president (Levy) Mwanawasa was there. This is what we want. Ndola should be on fire and so you have a big challenge ahead of you.”
While Siliya was talking a cadre shouted that MMD members did not want Ndola district commissioner Moses Mumba because he was a PF member and Siliya assured the cadre that she was going to take care of that.
And Kabushi Constituency youth information and publicity secretary Peter Mwansa said people in Ndola had rejected Mumba because he was not friendly to party members.
He accused Mumba of always shouting at people who approached him.
“As MMD in Ndola, we don’t want him because he does not work according to the party wishes. He should be taken somewhere else,” said Mwansa.
And Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima said his party was going to set Luapula Province on fire.
“Next week (this week) we are going to Luapula and we are going to set Luapula on fire,” said Mbulakulima in reference to the “conference to discuss development” which is expected to be graced by Frederick Chiluba.
Mbulakulima said a revived MMD on the Copperbelt would grab all the parliamentary seats during elections.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, DORA SILIYA, ELECTIONS, VOTER REGISTRATION
Read more...
Chiluba divides Copperbelt MMD
By Amos Malupenga in Lusaka and Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Mon 15 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
Some MMD cadres in Ndola on Friday confiscated banners displaying praises Frederick Chiluba from Itawa and Chinese complex tenants saying they only wanted banners carrying solidarity messages for President Rupiah Banda.
But MMD district information and publicity secretary, Alex Mubanga, popularly known as shimpundu pankoloko yesterday said MMD officials only grabbed placards carrying messages of complaints from some Itawa Flats and Chinese Complex tenants.
Meanwhile, some Itawa Flats and Chinese Complex tenants have said the MMD and Ndola district commissioner Moses Mumba are fools that use poor people to gain support.
According to MMD sources, the placard-grabbing incident happened at Ndola International Airport when Alex Mubanga ordered the tenants to put away the banners and placards because they were carrying messages of solidarity for Chiluba. The source said Mubanga was allegedly acting on instructions from Copperbelt Province MMD chairman Joseph Chilambwe who ordered that he would only allow banners carrying messages of solidarity for President Banda.
“There is some growing division on the Copperbelt among MMD officials following Dr Chiluba’s campaign tour for President Banda on the Copperbelt,” the source said.
“Dr Chiluba is being accused of having created a parallel structure led by Terence Findlay, which he worked with instead of using official structures led by Mr Chilambwe. But after some intervention from other officials, the women carrying banners in support of Dr Chiluba were allowed although they were shunted at the back.”
Another MMD source said the pro-Chiluba members felt disappointed and let down by Alex Mubanga’s behaviour to grab the pro-Chiluba banners because Mubanga is one of the officials who worked with Chiluba during his two-week campaign trail on the Copperbelt.
“Shimpundu pankoloko is the one who was driving Dr Chiluba around the Copperbelt so how can he turn around and start grabbing banners that are praising Dr Chiluba?” the source asked.
But Mubanga yesterday said they only grabbed banners that carried messages of complaints from some tenants because they were avoiding trouble.
One of the placards is said to have carried the message: “Please, President Rupiah Banda help us to come up with a fair price for the Itawa and Chinese Complex houses.”
Mubanga said the placards were confiscated from the tenants because the MMD only accepted messages of solidarity and not of complaints because complaints could be a source of confusion at a political gathering.
“What we did not want at the airport were problems. We don’t allow people to make placards of complaints. We want solidarity. I think the tenants were too excited to be at the airport to meet the President,” Mubanga said. “This is why we forgave them and we explained to them what politicians are supposed to do at political gatherings. You reporters, even saw that we gave them back the placards after talking to them.”
And speaking on behalf of the other tenants, a tenant who opted to remain anonymous said the MMD and district commissioner Mumba were bad people who took advantage of the poor people because they wanted to remain in power.
“Mr Mumba came to the flats on Friday and told us that all tenants from Itawa and Chinese Complex were supposed to go to the airport and welcome the President because that is where the President is going to announce the price of the flats and he gave us chitenge materials to wear,” the tenant said. “But to our surprise, the President did not say anything about the prices and we feel used by these politicians.”
The tenant said whether the government sold them the houses or not, they would not vote for the MMD because it was a party that told lies.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, CHILUBA, COPPERBELT PROVINCE, MMD
Read more...
Spilling Fr Bwalya’s blood over a press conference
Written by Editor
It is frightening that in today’s political plural Zambia, a citizen can be crucified, nailed to the cross for trying to hold a press conference. Fr Frank Bwalya has been threatened with death by Ndola MMD vice-publicity and information secretary Alex Mubanga if he goes ahead with his intended press conference. Mubanga made it very clear that they mean business:
“Fr Bwalya wants to see the colour red and on Monday, we are going to give him blood because on Monday, there is going to be bloodshed and no one is going to stop us, not even the famous PF and I’m talking on behalf of the MMD district. And we want the nation to know that we are not threatening but we are assuring anyone who is going to stand in our way that blood should be shed on Monday. We are tired of people insulting our President; he is our leader and should be respected by everyone. We have prepared ourselves adequately and we are ready for war. This Fr Bwalya should be taught a lesson because he has belittled our President. We have been trailing him and we know where he is and we are not afraid of him. Fr Bwalya is a small boy. He is a mosquito that has been troubling us and this time around, we are going to teach him a good lesson that he is not going to forget in his life. Fr Bwalya thinks that MMD is a party to play with. Fr Bwalya is a loud mouthed person who needs to be shut. He has been talking too much and it’s about time we put an end to it.”
Imagine if these words were from the mouth of a Patriotic Front or UPND official! Imagine how swiftly the police could have moved on him! These are frightening double standards. This is a clear violation of the rule of law, of the right to equality before the law, or equal protection of the law.
The position taken by the police on Fr Bwalya’s press conference is also frightening. The Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde asked our reporter: “…since when have you heard that a Catholic priest is supposed to hold press conferences?” But how many clergymen in this country have held or hold press conferences? What about those clergymen they always parade on television to support those in government?
The truth is Fr Bwalya is a human being like any other person and with the same human rights as every other human being. Fr Bwalya is not only a priest, he is also a citizen of this country. Priesthood has not removed from Fr Bwalya any of his human rights or constitutional rights as a citizen of this country. Fr Bwalya has every right to hold a press conference without any undue interference from anyone. What the police are encouraging is lawlessness. It’s unlawful for them to stop Fr Bwalya from holding a press conference. It is equally irresponsible for them to condone or turn a blind eye to those threatening Fr Bwalya with violence, with bloodshed.
And what do they think Fr Bwalya is? A disciple of Satan or of Jesus? Christ’s entire doctrine was devoted to the humble, the poor; his doctrine was devoted to fighting abuse, injustice and the degradation of human beings. And we would say there is a lot in common between the spirit and essence of his teachings and what Fr Bwalya is doing. There is no contradiction between the aims of Christianity and the struggles Fr Bwalya is today engaging in on behalf of the poor, the voiceless. And as we have always pointed out, we are living at a time when politics has entered a near-religious sphere with regard to man and his behaviour. We also believe that we have come to a time when a religion can enter the political sphere with regard to man and his behaviour.
Fr Bwalya is truly following Christ’s example, his teachings. We say this because when we follow Jesus’ teachings and example, we see that his spirituality was life in the spirit, within the historical conflict, in a communion of love with the Father and the people. This spirituality was the result of his opening to the Father’s gift and of his liberating commitment to the life aspirations of the oppressed. For Jesus, the world wasn’t divided between the pure and the impure, as the Pharisees wished; it was divided between those who favoured life and those who supported death. Everything that generates more life – from a gesture of love to social revolution – is in line with God’s scheme of things, in line with the construction of the kingdom, for life is the greatest gift given to us by God. Whoever is born is born in God to enter the sphere of life. At the same time, Jesus’ spirituality contradicted that of the Pharisees, which consisted of rites, duties, asceticisms and the observance of discipline. Fidelity was the centre of life for the Pharisees; the Father was the centre of life for Jesus. The Pharisees measured spirituality by the practice of cultural rules; Jesus measured it by filial opening to God’s love and compassion. For the Pharisees, sanctity is a human conquest; for Jesus it was a gift of the Father for those who opened up to his grace. Jesus’ spiritual vigour stemmed from his intimacy with God, who he familiarly called Abba – that is, Father (Mark 14:36). Like all those who believe, Jesus had faith and spent hours in prayer to nourish it. Luke recorded those hours in which Jesus allowed his spirit to be replenished by the Father’s spirit: “But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16); “In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12); and “Now it happened that as he was praying alone” (Luke 9:18). In that communion with the Father, he found strength for struggling for the scheme of life, challenging the forces of death, represented particularly by the Pharisees, against whom the Gospels present two violent manifestos (Mtt 23 and Luke 11:37-57). And in this sense, all who struggle for life are included in God’s scheme, even if they lack faith. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’” (Mtt 25:37-40).
It is your fellow man, and especially the one who lacks life and needs justice, in whom God wishes to be served and loved. They are the ones with whom Jesus identified. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the struggle for justice that Fr Bwalya is engaged in and the fulfillment of God’s will as a human being and as a priest. One demands the other. All who work along that line of God’s scheme for life are considered Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Mark 3:31-35). This is the best way to follow Jesus, especially in Zambia’s present situation. We prefer to say that Jesus had a spirituality of the conflict – that is, a vigour in his commitment to the poor and to the Father who granted him immense internal peace. True peace is not obtained by stopping others from speaking their minds, from sharing their views with others; it is the result of trust in God, it is a result of respect for the rights of others.
And for this reason, we say to Fr Bwalya: fight on brave priest. It is said that courage is not the opposite of fear, faith is. That faith gave Jesus the necessary will for carrying out the scheme of life, even by sacrificing his own life in confrontation with the forces of death, such as oppression, injustice, and religion made by sclerotic by rules and rites.
There is great coincidence between Christ’s objectives and the ones Fr Bwalya is seeking, between Christ’s teaching of humility, selflessness and loving thy neighbour and what Fr Bwalya is today doing. And moreover, what is a Catholic priest?
Jesus’ way of fulfilling God’s will was through a commitment to the scheme of life. This is made very clear in this account of Saint Mark: “One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, and when Abi’athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?’ And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath’” (Mark 2:23-28).
The account shows a conflict between Jesus’ group and that of the Pharisees. Jesus and his disciples picked the ears of corn, which the law of God forbade on the Sabbath, which was considered a holy day when no work was allowed. Jesus knew this, but as usual he didn’t apologise. Instead, he referred to the testimony of David, whom the Pharisees respected greatly and who had apparently behaved much worse than Jesus and his disciples, respecting neither the Sabbath nor the very house of God, the temple. He didn’t pick mere heads of grain; he took the Host, as we would say today, ate some and gave some to his comrades. Jesus knew that David’s behaviour also went against the religious rules. What strong reason led Jesus not only to justify David’s behaviour but to behave in the same manner? The answer is in verse 25: “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him?” That is, man’s material need, the basic foundation of life, was the most scared thing for Jesus. For Jesus, it was impossible to speak of spiritual life apart from the material conditions of existence. There is nothing more scared than man, the image and likeness of God. The hunger of that man was an offence to the Creator himself. A religion that cares for the supposed sacredness of its objects but turns its back on those who are the real temples of the Spirit is worthless. To Jesus’ way of thinking, there is nothing more sacred than the right to life, therefore, a church that places its patrimonial interests ahead of the demands of justice, life and the people among whom it is inserted is certainly a church that considers man less important than the Sabbath and, like the Pharisees, reverses evangelical priorities.
In his practice, Jesus didn’t separate spiritual needs from the material demands of human life. This is made very clear in the parable of the multiplication of the loaves (Mark 6:34-44).
It is in this light that we see the efforts that Fr Bwalya is exerting. He may be a small boy, a mosquito, but he is doing his work and the people he is serving appreciate it and respect him. And this is what really matters. The mosquito size of his body is not an issue.
We can only ask those in government, those in control of the police to get back to the rule of law because it is fundamental to any just and democratic society. Whether political ally of those in power or opponent – all are entitled to equal protection of the law. We don’t expect those in power to guarantee that life will treat everyone equally, and they have no responsibility to do so. However, under no circumstances should those in power impose additional inequalities; they should be required to deal evenly and equally with all the citizens of this country. What is happening now is embarrassing: we have two laws – one for those who support those in power and another for the opponents of those in power. The supporters of those in power can get away with anything, with murder while their opponents are subjected to unending persecutions. This is dangerous. This is what leads to dissention in a nation and all the negative things that accompany or follow it.
Labels: ALEX MUBANGA, CADRES, FRANK BWALYA, MMD
Read more...
