THE Zambia Police has warned that the law will take its course and visit all churches using their church buildings for campaigns to push for the release of the first draft Constitution.
Police spokesperson Charity Munganga said in an interview yesterday that police would not sit idle and allow churches to go against the Public Order Act (POA) by engaging in meetings and campaigns other than the purpose for which they were intended.
She said a church was a place of worship and those who want to use it for other intentions should follow the provisions of the POA.
“If they do not use the Church for its intended purpose, then it becomes any other building and if it is used for anything else, the public order act should be followed,” she said.
Ms Chanda has since appealed to the Church to avoid being used for other motives apart from their intended purposes as places of worship.
“Those who will use the church for other purposes other than worship will be breaking the law. Churches are excluded from adhering to the POA when being used for their intended purposes otherwise they will be breaking the law,” she said.
Ms Chanda’s warning comes in the wake of an announcement by some Civil Society Organisations to take the Constitution campaigns to push for the release of the draft Constitution to churches.
A grand Coalition provincial campaign by some CSOs and some sections of the church has since been launched to demand for the immediate release of a people-driven Constitution.
Ba Police naimwe why bu stone age mentality? Let people freely gather.. Was there any violence for you to issue such a statement. This is 21st century and people can’t freely gather?? Sha…
Lady goes to BIGOCA on a Tuesday and approaches the Bishop.
Lady: Bishop, my dog has just died. We are requesting to use your Church for the funeral service.
Bishop: (Angry) What? A dog? Madam, we never ever hold funeral services for dogs in this Church. May be try that small church over there.
Lady: (preparing to leave) Thank you Sir. I am sure those people won’t mind my small token of US$250, 000 for their trouble. Bishop, do you think it will be enough?
Bishop: (Blinking fast) Ehe…. Ehe. Madam. Why didn’t you tell me that your dog was a Christian? So which day did you say we have the service …..?
The Police should be careful with what statements to issue out.What is criminal about citizens urging the Government to release the final draft constitution on which a lot of peoples money was spent.It does not matter where such requests are made.It can be in a home discussion,football match,a bar,a club house,inside police cells and indeed in a church.The constitution release is backed by PF manifesto page 42 article 22.Why does Police not confiscate all PF Manifestos as they are the ones people are reciting in Churches.
The Police will soon become irrelevant to society if they continue acting like cadres. The Church is an area where people can seek deliverance from all sorts of oppression or calamity such as a government that fails to protect it’s people through a good constitution.
Shame!
Seriously, can the psychiatrics’ assess PF police cadres. Going to Churches and arresting people for merely discussing the constitution is illogical. People have a right to talk about the constitution wherever because its the very constitution that protects their freedom and liberty.
Total hypocrisy of the PF cadre police. A few days ago, Ms Libongani emphasized her PF cadre police to respect human rights and today they are saying of arresting people in church because of the constitution!
Shocking innuendos of PF. Shame!
The police are now irrelevant, the church take care of people’s lives even when politicians are no where to be seen, its their responsibility to educate masses on everything that affects them, people listen to them more than politicians. No party in the past ever started a fight with the church and won.
ba chanda ububi are you are you or a man and which church do you think you can touch,you are so illiterate and being used like used condoms
Humanity, Bikapo picture yakwa noko tumone,so that we compare.
So ninshi having a different view is a criminal offence?? It seems everyone who comes out against the withholding of the constitution is indiscipline? What happened to having a different opinion? PF must go.. These confusions must come to an end cause we can’t live like foreigners in our own country. Where Government restricts what we should do.. If you tyink different its a criminal offense. Colonial
@ Kabusha, although i don’t agree with Munganga’s comment because those sentiments are supposed to be directed to the PF cadres who grumble other people’s land, Her mother is very beautiful than your mother. Please stop dragging other people’s parents.
@Bulyolyo,put both pics iyakwa noko neyakwa nyina so that we compare with Charity’s.
you ugly Charity leave the churches alone. where do you want them to meet? are the churches vilolent? your PF will not last long and you will be locked up for human rights abuses. mark my words you sick hiv aids patient.
*Chalimbana,
I don’t agree with Ms Charity Chanda Munganga but please, lets stick to the issue at hand. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder as the adage goes. Attack not the persons looks but let’s try to critique issues diligently.
Its not good when you start behaving and thinking like the PF and what would make you different from them with such irrespective of your comment !?
The Zambia Police has become irrelevant to the wishes and aspirations of the people of zambia. They have instead become an extended Youth wing of the PF and are now been used to surpress the citizens they are supposed to protect. The police must refrain from been used for political expedience by the PF. Surpression of the voice of the people which is also the voice of god will not help those chaps wearing uniforms. U can surpress people but you can not do that perpetually god will deliver them from the evils of the police and pf one day. The people voted in 2011 to change the government for better governance and greater enjoyment of freedoms, the same people will vote again in less than two years time from now. The officers been used to itimidate the people and surpress their voices see
This man….
This is very retrogressive. I hope Munganga and her misguided bosses have time to attend church. Biblical teachings can not be looked at in isolation without any reference to reality in the modern world. Why should you criminalise preaching of good governance in church mwe fikopo imwe?
The police have missed the point here. The idea of WORSHIP in all religions is about reverence to God or a deity. At the center of it, are human beings who God created with inherent inalienable rights. For them to WORSHIP they need to be free from all forms of shackles – the church discussing the means of guaranteeing people’s freedom (The Constitution) in churches is not at odds with the principle of Worship. In fact if the churches are not engaging in human freedom and the means to it thereof, they become irrelevant. So shame on the police if they will gag the mouths of the churches for political expediency.
S.T.U.P.I.D. @ 100%
For sure PF and the Police are both losing their marbles. Now you have started fighting the church which helped PF to be where they are. This is the problem of turning state institutions into family affairs, now Chanda cannot tell the difference between PF and Police. What a shame.
….simple….just go in there and start PRAYING for the release of the draft constitution…praying to God to intervene…..just as they would pray for the rains, peace….. In 2011, nearly all Catholic Churches where PRAYING for the downfall of MMD….PRAYING for PF to win…..praying to God for the same and miraculously he listened….whether it was in the spirit of the phrase….’when a child wants to play with fire and Three time you protect the child, the Fourth time let him touch the fire…..’ There are chances that God may once more miraculously listen to the church….
The key word is PRAYING and not DEMANDING…..
The police have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the congregation was demanding for the draft constitution and not praying for the release of the same
The police are right. Some people are using the church to launch political battles. This can be liked to what happened in Iraq during the war with USA. Some militia groups used to hide among civilians (mostly women and children) and then fired missiles at the Americans. When the Americans fired back and killed the civilians, people started complaining against the Americans. Remember also the BIGOCA incident in Matero. collateral damage!
Please imwe akapokola, osalenga kuti boma alicotsepo amipingo. Donot play with the church or the clergy. Remember that govnt have come and gone because of churches. Watchout and respect becoz they can pray for your demise. Nicompoomps