Government has reversed the deportation of the Rwandese Catholic priest, Viateura Banyangandora and declared that he is free to come back to Zambia if the Church still needs him.
Home Affairs Minister, Edgar Lungu said at a press briefing in his office today that the revocation of the deportation order followed consultations with various members of the Catholic Church and was in line with “the Bible teachings to forgive one another in the love of Christ.”
Mr Lungu was, however, quick to warn members of the public regardless of their political affiliation that matters of the church should not be mixed with politics.
“I further warn those who want to intervene with the running of Government while hiding behind religion that the law will catch up with them. I will not take kindly to anyone who uses the name of the church to gain political mileage at the expense of serving the Zambian people,” he said.
Father Banyangadora, 40, who was based at Lundazi Catholic Parish, was deported early this year for allegedly violating the Laws of Zambia.
In his deportation order, Mr Lungu stated that Fr Banyangandora’s conduct was found to be a danger to peace and good order in Zambia contrary to Section 39(2) of the Immigration and Deportation Act, No. 18 of 2010.
thats a good one, let him now be careful..
Careful? Who?
Big mistake. This shows how weak and shaky this Government is . You cant rule with your heart Sata, rule with your head!
It is better to rule with heart and not with the drunken state of mind of Lungu & Sata. Now they are sober, they start to think. Its monday, you will hear another mistake on Friday nga bakolwa.
Somone was overzealous and unprofessional. Bordering on incompetence.
That’s what happens when you make decisions while drunk. Zambian government…… It’s a shame!!!
kekekeke, You’re very funny elo kamone kalinwa chibuku sana nakalya akatontokanya kalifwa
OK Good you are getting Sober minded but the REAL question is why was the guy ever deported in the first place? if we know the reason then it will be easier to avoid the same mistake and how many people have been deported in this manner that we don’t know about. This is very worrying Mr minister what criteria was used to deport and later reverse the decision?
If what the father did compromised the security of the nation, why bring him back?
Why can’t the church intervene in the governance of the nation as if they don’t live in Zambia? The bad policies of any government affect both the churched and the unchurched.
When PF was fighting to come into government, didn’t they use the get support from the Catholic Church?
Why didn’t tell them not to interven with the MMD government as it was not prudent for the church according to the PF manifesto?
Is he talking out of shame for reversing the deportation?
Who ordered him to reverse it?
Ulemonekafye ake bange ka Edgar. Don’t act nganaubaela
I don’t PF got some of these guys
After talking to the now toothless Catholic Bishops. They failed to voice and go to discuss in secret. We know State House is theirs now. What else do you expect from chaps with no vision. It is unfortunate. What forgiveness when the law is broken? Then you better forgive all the Zambians in custody right now starting with the Barotse Freedom fighters.
I meant big mistake to reverse the deportation order. Priest needs to remain in Rwanda!
Its not only a big mistake its HUGE!!
How many people where slaughtered inside the catholic church in Rwanda?
Be objective when making comments. The priest did nothing wrong and it is the government that was unjust in this situation.
He needs to be compensated for the illegal deportation.
Government should learn to observe the law!
Now am confused Edgar lungu might have said this in a drunken state
WELCOME HOME Fr. My dear people…. Church ni Church, No matter how sinful its people may be. God intervenes at His on right time…. Abesu babwela Ba Viateura…. Cant wait to come to Lundazi to welcome you!!!
The only crime that fellow did is to remind PF to honor its campaign promises of more money in poor people’s pocket.
A listening govt indeed,decisions are not cast in iron,even jail terms have been reversed on appeal
An *****ic govt.
U-Turn Number 135
This the minister who was quoted on 16th August in Times Newspaper as stating:
“We deported the man because he had no legal papers to remain in Zambia………..We later came to learn about his divisive sermons after his deportation, which he has not even challenged.”
How can this minister still be in that ministry making such utterances..this is gross incompetence of the highest order.
He should be fired!
He fits well in the PF government where everything is done haphazardly. The number of U-turns tell the story.
He is actually the best man for the job.
The deportation was nonsensical. Govt shouldn’t play around with individual’s lives as if they are pets. They are people They have human rights. You just don’t wake up and decide to deport someone cos you don’t like him. What a poor thinking govt!
PF as a party never had any structures, Never held any convention. Then how do you expect it to function hence these misdeeds these total confusion coupled with gross incompetence.
While this is a welcome decision, it speaks volumes about the people running GRZ. This is how it is whenever you allow action to precede your thinking!
Running GRZ like a small village with a village committee.
What message is our government sending? Retrospectively speaking, it’s a good thing that GRZ has rescended it’s decision to deport the priest. The real question is, why in the hell was he deported in the first damn place? Sata needs to fire somebody…I’ll give you a heads up Lungu. This chap is so incompetent. I see why we can now believe that he goes to work drunk. Fyabupuba ifi nomba!
Well you woulf have expected the person responsible for the mistake to have resigned or be fired
How are the people ruling you? terrible country
Thanks
Imwe aLungu, nkani za mu moba nizovuta. Never make a decission on an alcohol-full stomach
Fellow bloggers, this is actually long over due. The priest was supposed to come back last month. At one stage Catholics in Eastern province had resolved to march in protest against the deportation, but were advised not do do so as that would look political. There has been a lot of pressure exerted on the gvt by the church to reverse the deportation order. U may wish to know that OP staff in Chipata never new about the deportation until it was effected. orders cme from OP lsk.
You may also want to know that even the president never new until bishop George Lungu called him to complain. At this stage the president had no facts so he just told the Bishop that he would get back to him. It was difficult for the President to intervene at that stage as the OP had already effected the deportation. Some of us knew that the priest would come back to Zambia over a month ago when it came into public domain.
The priest has been mada a hero. A thunderous welcome awaits him at Chipata Airstrip. He will fly to Chipata and travel by road to Lundazi. Catholic ni BOMA
Hahaha,we’re being led by monkeys of the Pa Foolish africanus species who don’t follow any conventions.Now expect some reassesments to come out about the hurried reversals on zamtel and Dr Mahtani’s bank.
I think it`s that guy appointed board member or somthing ku Zesco who is pulling the strings here, whats his name again? ati Fr Bwalya, yes that dude.
# 1. It is better to rule with heart and not with the drunken state of mind of Lungu & Sata. Now they are sober, they start to think. Its Monday, you will hear another mistake on Friday nga bakolwa.
Damage already done.
Mushota, just shut up
Seventeen years ago, tens of thousands of Catholics were hacked to death inside churches. Sometimes priests and nuns led the slaughter. Sometimes they did nothing while it progressed. The incidents were not isolated. Nyamata, Ntarama, Nyarubuye, Cyahinda, Nyange, and Saint Famille were just a few of the churches that were sites of massacres.The losses of Rwanda had received no such consideration. Some of the nuns and priests who have been convicted by Belgian courts and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, respectively, enjoyed refuge in Catholic churches in Europe while on the run from prosecutors. One such is Father Athanase Seromba, who led the Nyange parish massacre and was sentenced to 15 years in jail by the tribunal. n April 1994, Seromba helped lure over 2,000 desperate
One evening Seromba entered the church and carried away the chalices of communion and other clerical vestments. When a refugee begged that they be left the Eucharist to enable them to at least hold a (final) mass, the priest refused and told them that the building was no longer a church. A witness at the ICTR trial remembered an exchange in which the priest’s mindset was revealed.
One of the refugees asked: “Father, can’t you pray for us?” Seromba replied: “Is the God of the Tutsis still alive?” Later, he would order a bulldozer to push down the church walls on those inside and then urge militias to invade the building and finish off the survivors..
At his trial, Seromba said: “A priest I am and a priest I will remain.” This, apparently, is the truth, since the Vatican has never taken back its statements defending him before his conviction.n the last century, Catholic bishops have been deeply mired in Rwandan politics with the full knowledge of the Vatican.
“Genocide of the Tutsis – the Role of the Roman Catholic Church
BRITISH CHURCH NEWSPAPER 16 APRIL 2004
Analysis – by a correspondent
Events and media coverage of the 10th anniversary of the Hutu massacres of 800,000 Tutsis in the spring of 1994 have strangely omitted the role of the institution largely responsible for the genocide – the Roman Catholic Church. Its role may be compared to its role in supporting the Nazis in the 1930s.”
ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“There is no doubt that throughout the history of Rwanda, Church leaders have had ties with political power. The Church was also involved in the policy of ethnic division, which degenerated into ethnic hatred. In order to succeed in its mission of uniting people, the Church in Rwanda and elsewhere must examine its attitudes, practices, and policies that have too often encouraged ethnic divisions.”
This will be a perfect edition for kalaliki
me no Catoliki but no that PF make great mistake to depart the priest. he spoke truth about failed promises. this drunk minister should have been fired.
you have seen now doing things without consultations,*****S
truth be told. Umupatili alilya umwana wakwa Edgar hence the chifukushi and ordered him deported. he could not lila po as “bamukaika ten wala eeeee”
@Mushota#21
That is nice for a lady to always have the energy to stay late at night without experiencng the fatigue which most grown ups experience and it always wears them down. It is amazing to see that you always manage to respond to these daily social issues in a consistent robust focused manner no matter how twisted they can be. Always be positive my love do not let these trivial issues destract you from your healthy contributions which by the way are beneficial because they compel anyone to think out of the box. Do not worry about these elements who want you to have a uniform mentality e.g. such as their traditional ways of approaching issues. Always, I admire your courage and many kisses on your nice soft lips.
@MUSHOTA #21
Stay well and I will always love you. Many, many kisses on your nice soft tender lips and please be positive and do not let trivial arguments crowd your judgement. We are both humans thus we argue when something is not well understood and, after a bit of clarity we have to let by-gones be the by-gones and my love this is the essence of a healthy relationship. Bye for now and look after yourself.
Please stop it, You make me uncomfortable
Sorry I don’t need this
Thanks
The deportation of Father Fyabakadori was a big mistake.But i was also disapointed by the Father’s utternces whilst in Rwanda.An eye 4 an eye breeds revulsion and grudges.next tym father learn 2 b humble and forgive pipo that offends you as this is what you owaz preach on sundays.As 4 you mr Edgar Lungu i advise you never 2 touch the annoited ones.For if you continue 2 b drunk with power yo end result will b worse than that of the pipo of soddom and Gomora.
Catholics are reaping what they sow,as in Italy they are a state within a state.Sorry Lungu, kiss your ass.
KINDLY REVERSE AS WELL THE ONE FOR VICTOR ADENEJI, THE WINNERS CHAPEL PASTOR
Welcome father!! No one can deport or talk nosense against the Catholic church.Its clear and one cannot question that if u are in power and against the catholic,you will not go anywhere.The PF govenrmnet know this……CATHOLI is BOMA on its own.
The church has always been complicit in crimes throughout history!! You just read for yourselves (Cain Doctrine by the Mormons subjugated blacks to perpetual slavery until 1978 for example)… Religious people hate facts – they think the shroud of the word “Truth” is enough to buy them mileage. The runway doesn’t run forever DUDES!!! Oh, and by the way, Edgar Lungu must resign before his sorry @#$& is fired!
Pipo don’t just blame da catholic church for wateva coz thoz pipo who did that killing are not the whole catholic church, beta still learn from the “practical faith” by the same catholic church…….. JCTR, Caritus, etc….
Oh….. u continue blaming the church, it just makes it change for the beta and not repeat its mistakes,,,, beta still guys lets analyse the news logically and not miss the focus OR i will challenge you to also talk about da injustices of stealing from pipo $ claim they will blessed….. we all have hed this on da news……..
This minister is simply dull. He cant even diplomatically speak is way out of this mess. The revokation simply proves his incompetence and unprofessionalism. You seriously can’t criminalise preachers who decide to speak politics thats undemocratic…. You dont know the meaning of the word anyway.
Eish, these guys!
First, Mr. Lungu says that the reason for this decision was that “the Bible teaches to forgive one another in the love of Christ.” Ok, fine…. only then he immediately “warns” people not to mix religion with politics or the running of Government.
Huh?
Never mind the policy flip-flop itself, I wonder what part of the word consistency these guys don’t understand.
….especially when our (adulterous) President has declared he will run Zambia according to the Ten Commandments. Hello? Mixing of religion and government….. consistency……
So Father Bwalya is the only catholic priest who is allowed to mix politics and the church?
Comedy of Errors.
This priest should remain in Rwanda, are you implying that we dont have enough priests around?? Expatriate priests, whats this nonsense? Is he not on the International Court’s list for genocide perpetrators??
This guy is very dangerous especially from the country where he belongs, they are pple who where in fore front in the rwanda Genocide, they where directin the killers where the Innocent pple where hidden nd killed in presences of Priests, so better remain in his country., ~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(
WTF! forgivenes when thousands are languishing in jails???? F*** off!
Ala, Kaminamisa iwe uzisunge ka!
In one of the government mouthpieces it is reported that govt PARDONS deported Rwandese priest. Pardons? Or U turns?
VIVA BA NYANGADORO..SATA A CHEPA SANA
This is a gorvt suffering from a serious sense of utmost indecision.Why did they deport him in the first instance? The deportation of course was a serious case of misjudgement and the govt had better get its act correct.
well clergy be unpleasant to the ruling Govt expect hostility.Even back in Rwanda its like that.Your activities in your country and connections to Genocide ,the govt will treats you with caution,Govt settle down now and make sure next time you make a decision it stands for consistency.Keep an eye on such fellows.they may be sponsored peace busters.
if I were him I would not come back to such a nation where there no freedom of speech..pf has destroyed all the little effforts made by MMD..
Agree with ya.
What do we expect from d ever drunk minister? Shameful and a big embarrassment. Why not consult before opening smelly n drunkard mouth!!!!!!