By NAKUBIANA SHABONGO –

THE Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) has opposed plans by the Oasis Forum comprising three church mother bodies, the Law Association of Zambia and Non-Governmental Coordinating Council to dedicate some minutes every Sunday to talk about the constitution.

BIGOCA Bishop Peter Ndhlovu said it was inappropriate to dedicate minutes to discussing the constitution in church saying there are better ways to deal with the issue such as dialogue.

Speaking in an interview, Bishop Ndhlovu said the Church needed to resolve the matter in an amicable way by burying the confrontation and praying for peace instead of engaging in protests and using the pulpit.

“We need to give the Government a benefit of doubt and exercise patience, the Patriotic Front said it was studying the constitution so we should give them enough time,” he said.

Bishop Ndhlovu said Zambia was this year going to celebrate its 50 years of existence and encouraged the people to uphold peace and unity.

He said the church must come up with an agenda to hold peaceful talks rather than confrontations as this would cause citizens to suffer.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has dared Government to name the CSO’s that are being funded by opposition political parties to protest against the constitution-making process.

CSPR board chairperson John Lijimu said is very dismayed at Government’s unfair accusation of CSO‘s being funded by political parties to agitate over the long the delayed release and enactment of the constitution.
“We therefore challenge the minister of imformation to make public the CSO’s that have been funded by the politicians with proof and stop from beating about the bush over such a very important governance that concerns and affects all citizens,” he said.

Mr Lijimu said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government should learn lessons from the failures and pitfalls of the MMD government who chose to stop listening to the people and it cost them a huge defeat during the 2011 election.