Cadre clerics caned
A CLERGYMAN at Saint Mary's Anglican Church in Mufulira says clergymen taking partisan sides in the political stages are public.
Father George Njovu said clergymen should be courageous, frank and honest to politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition by telling them the truth whether it hurts them or not.
He was speaking on Saturday at St Mary's Anglican Church during a Thanksgiving mass where the Mufulira Mayor, Mr Gift Mushinge was thanking the church for the support given to him and for the prayers ahead of the peaceful elections of 2016 elections.
He said however that clergymen, who have decided to take partisan sides in the political realm will find it difficult to give fair, honest and genuine advice to those they were supporting for fear of offending them.
"But, if you are a neutral, courageous, frank and honest clergymen you will not find it difficult to advise politicians from both the opposition or ruling party if they go wrong,
“But if you are eating from one of the two of them, you will join the political battles so that you continue eating with them and in the process, you will become irrelevant,” he said
Father Njovu said leadership came from God and opposition leaders should respect those in authority, while waiting for their turn to form government if at all they were destined to form one.
He said opposition leaders should not use hate-speech, name-calling, malice and mudslinging as a way of getting into leadership, but should patiently wait upon God.
"Every leadership comes from God and so even President Edgar Lungu was put there by God. So the opposition should not get emotional and start insulting those in authority. They should wait for their turn to form government,” Father Njovu said
Mr Mushinge said he was grateful to God who worked through President Lungu and the people of Mufulira to make him become Mayor.