Fr Lupupa calls for healing through Truth and Reconciliation Commission

CATHOLIC Priest Father Lastone Lupupa has called on the government to come up with a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help in prosecuting wrongdoing.

Fr Lupupa said prosecuting only leads to persecution and that Zambia should go the South African route which was followed during apartheid if they are to forge ahead.

And commenting on the wrangles in OCIDA where some members of the association are calling on the chairman, Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu to resign, Fr Lupupa said the archbishop is a principled man who stands for what he believes is right and is not politically biased.

“The Archbishop 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 has challenged the public not to solely depend on the government and political players for their economic solutions.

He said this is because the solutions to the problems that are being faced by the country is not in the ballot box and people need to think outside the box.

He said people need to move away from having a mentality of depending on politicians to change things for the country when the solution was within themselves.

And commenting on issues of criticism and taking advice from the other political players and stakeholders, Fr Lupupa said the current regime needed to be soft and to get to learn how to deal with criticism unlike comparing themselves to the previous regime.

And on matters of the relationship between the church and the governance of the country, Fr Lupupa said the church has demonstrated co-existence on culture, governance and religion of which politicians can draw an example from.

He said politicians should not take advantage of the church and sideline them as many have a tendency of visiting churches just to rally and sweet talk congregants in their promises that do not align with their actions.

Fr Lupupa said it is the duty of everyone not to wait for the government to bring development but to take it upon themselves, and that is why he has come up with the One-million Family and Friends Initiative were people will register and enter K1 every day amounting to K1 million everyday so as to use the resources to make jobs for members of the initiative and others.