By KELVIN MUDENDA –
A LIVINGSTONE based clergyman has urged men of God to desist from inciting citizens to engage in acts of violence.
Christian Life Harvest Church International founder and overseer Boston Simumba said the clergy in Livingstone were dismayed by Bishop John Mambo’s sentiments during a press briefing last week, where he called on Zambians to revolt against what he claimed as Government’s reckless abuse of public funds.
Bishop Mambo was also quoted in some sections of the media as having described Zambians as cowards and urged them to rise up, get to the streets and start burning tyres.
In an interview, Pastor Simumba said as a man of God, Bishop Mambo was supposed to be a unifier instead of being an agent of hate and anarchy.
“It’s very unfortunate and regrettable that a man of God who is considered to be a senior citizen can be inciting Zambians to go to the streets and engage themselves in acts of violence as a means of making Government accountable.
“It is very naïve and diabolic for a senior citizen to utter such words like “go to the streets and start burning tyres”. It is clear that such utterances can only come from a person with an ill motive,” he said.
He said the church needed to promote dialogue between political players instead of being seen to be taking sides at the expense of national unity.
“If we feel Government is not being accountable to its citizens, there are procedures that are needed to be followed and all suspected acts of corruption should be reported and substantiated through the relevant authorities,” he said.
The clergyman called on the media in the country not to entertain individuals that were bent on dividing the nation.
The media in the country should not entertain people who wanted to promote anarchy in a country that is governed by Christian principles.
He said people who wanted to promote hate and anarchy should be visited by the law enforcement agencies because it was remarks like that propagated by the clergy that has led to civil wars in other countries.