WE NEED TRUTH, RECONCILIATION

“The Zambian people were highly expectant that the UPND would bring a new culture of transparent and open politics, which was not the case. The UPND while in opposition strongly condemned the dreaded culture of caderism but we now have cadres in government offices with many in uniforms and causing terror in many forms” Fr Lupupa said.

“Institutions of good governance such as the ACC, DEC and the police are now littered with cadres and the change Zambians wanted has not been achieved because the UPND is doing exactly what the PF was voted out for or indeed even worse,” he said.

And Fr Lupupa has come to the defence of Emeritus, Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu over attacks from the State and some disgruntled members of OCIDA, stating that the retired prelate was a principled man who could not sell his soul to the highest bidder.

Archbishop Mpundu, he said, was a principled man who stood for what he believed in and was not politically biased.

“Archbishop Mpundu is one kind of a man who has shown us that he is non-partisan. He is above partisan politics and wants to stand for the people,” Fr Lupupa said.

Fr Lupupa advised that the UPND regime needed to deal with criticism unlike comparing themselves to the previous regime, because the PF should never be a yardstick of their performance in government.

Fr Lupupa said the church had demonstrated co-existence on culture, governance and religion of which politicians could draw an example from, if their true desire was to see the country prosper in peace and unity.

He said politicians should avoid the temptation of taking advantage of the church and only to side line, stating that many a politician has had the tendency of visiting churches just to canvass for votes and sweet talk congregants in their quest to gain power.