Former Church of God overseer Bishop John Mambo has charged that the gesture by president Rupiah Banda to write off outstanding balances to over 3000 housing units will not influence the voter outcome.

Bishop Mambo says that it is not the first time that a ruling government is showing a gesture to the Zambians when the country will be heeding to the polls.

Bishop Mambo says that the issue of the housing units on the Copperbelt should not be politicized as is the case at the moment.

In an interview with QFM radio, Bishop Mambo stated that the president should be commended for the goodwill he has shown to the residents of the Copperbelt.

He added that if the Zambians want change of government, it will take place despite the perceived inducement by those in power.

He observes that the current political environment indicates that Zambians cannot be influenced by any political gift.

He has however observed that president Banda’s move on the housing units has been done at a wrong time.

He wonders why the president never took such an action some time back, but had to wait for the elections period to make his gesture.

QFM

16 COMMENTS

Kambombo April 23, 2011 At 8:37 am

Bishop, just join a political party of your choice than commenting on anything that RB does. We know you have no following & re dead broke.

Reflect , this is ESTER
Mwape Kauseni April 23, 2011 At 9:34 am

Ba Bishop don’t worry. The dice is already cast, RB KUYA BEBELE come General Elections this September. DON’T KUBEBA. The houses is just a fair Sangwapo to our suffering masses. I bet you none, if any, of the beneficiaries will vote for MMD and its candidate RB.
educationist April 23, 2011 At 11:59 am

# 1 could it be ESTER Phiri or you meant EASTER
chitumbuwa April 23, 2011 At 12:36 pm

People cannot be hoodwinked by this presidential gesture.Remember the late President Mwanawasa’s(MHSRIP)goodwill towards the people of Roan?Despite the fact that the mines were closed and our benevolent late president struggled for their openning,voters gave him a no vote.The president should not think that since he has written of debts to these housing units,people will vote for him.People have already made up their mind who they will vote for.They will not be bribed by any policians.When a person thinks otherwise ,no matter the influence, he or she will never be cheated.Copperbelt,in as far as voting is concerned,will never be swayed by cheap political gimmicks.Poeple will be basing their vote on the living conditions they are experiencing in copperbelt.Such issues like,pollution,low…
Mwanawakwitu April 23, 2011 At 12:49 pm

@ no# 3 educationist hahahahahaha, that is funny. Esther phiri and Ndandula SIAMANA are two very intelligent ladies that can drive a young man crazy and intelligent all at once. Good gesture RB whether it’s and election year or not.
Kambombo April 23, 2011 At 1:46 pm

Mwanawakwithu, brilliant. Icho chi educationist nchindele
First Patriotic Zambian April 23, 2011 At 3:52 pm

Bishop Mambo already belongs to Patriotic Front and he is trying by all means to impress sata so that he could be appointed his chola boy should PF win elections. lazy people are difficult to reason.
Matero Univeristy April 23, 2011 At 4:10 pm

Our professors believe that Zambians have already made up their minds over the elections with or without RB’s directive. Bishop stop being a PF chola boy. Most people know that RB will go through because Sata has lost it on a lot of fronts which includes the barotse issue. just go and drink your favourite wine bishop.
John Mambo April 23, 2011 At 4:20 pm

Imwe Bana, learn to respect adults, am a Bishop and would like to prophesize. Muyavyeni Sata tikomwela ku state house please napapata
ManU April 23, 2011 At 4:41 pm

Abash opportunists
H.H. Sata April 23, 2011 At 6:58 pm

“He wonders why the president never took such an action some time back, but had to wait for the elections period to make his gesture”. Now Bishop, there is no right or wrong time, the President of Zambia works everyday including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, in that time he makes all sorts of decisions including house empowerment, until he hands over power to the next President, which may be himself as is more than likely this year.
John lupasa April 24, 2011 At 9:02 am

The Bishop is right. Times of political gimmicks are long gone. People must learn from the Mporokoso by-election experience when the ruling party did some last miniute gimmicks only to be lose in a most embarassing way. If that could happen in a rural area, what makes them think it will work for them in an opposition stronghold?
MWISHO April 24, 2011 At 9:35 am

Bishop MAMBO is a finished guy. The housing issue started when Dr Chiluba and Sata were in power. Nothing new. Our clergy these days are just hungry. Mambo lives in a church house and does not even feel the impact of paying rentals. Your SATA will never win. You are just like lice in corpse’s dressings.
Advisor April 25, 2011 At 12:04 am

Fellow Zambians time of hatred is gone.Let us learn to respect leaders.
Pulamasaka April 25, 2011 At 11:37 am

Sata and Chiluba used the same strategy in 1996..viva real change..hahahaha
JAY-LOGIC April 25, 2011 At 12:44 pm

I think its unfair not to give praise where its due. Lets forget about politics for a minute and focus on what that empowerment means. It just literally means people of all political shades have benefited from that. It doesn’t matter that people wont vote for Rupiah.Even if Rupiah doesn’t win the elections, what is cardinal is that he has empowered those people to own houses, lets not take away this fact. And its a fallacy to think that the serving govt can stop delivering service just becoz this is an election year. Whether the empowerment that has been done to the Copperbelt residents is a bad thing, or wrong timing, i think we should leave that judgment to those people who are beneficiaries. I can only worry if the complaints are coming from the beneficiaries, not armchair critics!…