Help defuse tension, Lungu asks church
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has called on the church to help address the rising political tension ahead of the 2021 general elections next year.
President Lungu said political players should not be allowed to destroy the peace that Zambians have continued to enjoy and asked the church to play a vital role in maintaining peace the country had enjoyed since its independence.
Speaking when he witnessed the installation of Bishop Joshua Banda as the new Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAOG) presiding Bishop and unveiling of the full council of bishops in Lusaka yesterday, President Lungu said politicians should not allow elections to divide the nation, but to remain “one Zambia one nation” according to the motto.
President Lungu has since called on the church to promote an environment that would foster a peaceful and democratic electoral environment, devoid of violence and other electoral malpractices that could threaten the peace and security of the nation.
President Lungu observed that the church has also been instrumental in promoting peace and unity among the people and has helped to anchor the principles and values of who as a nation.
The Head state said the role the church has played over the years in guiding the moral, developmental, theological and ethical life of the country should be appreciated.
He congratulated the newly installed Bishop as well as the council of bishops and urged the leadership of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God to continue to play its prophetic and missionary role that it has played since 1955 when it was established in Zambia.
And Bishop Banda urged politicians to preserve peace in the country and called on genuine reconciliation from both the ruling party and the opposition parties as Zambia goes for polls in a few months’ times.
Bishop Banda however thanked President Lungu‘s call not to allow political players to divide the country due to their political interests.