Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Michael Sata responds to Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Letter

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President Michael Sata
President Michael Sata

President Michael Sata has assured the Catholic Church and Zambians in general that sufficient progress is being recorded in terms of governance and development.

This is contained in a press statement just released to the media today by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah.

The Head of State, who was responding to the Pastoral letter signed by 13 Catholic Bishops, among them the Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphore Mpundu, Archbishop of Kasama Ignatius Chama and Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) vice president Alick Banda, said his administration values the close working relationship it enjoys with the Church.

“As elected representatives of the people, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government remains open to dialogue as an important aspect of nation building, unity and development.  We therefore take note of the pertinent issues raised by the Catholic Church in the Pastoral Statement on the occasion of their January 2013 Plenary,” President Sata said.

President Sata reiterated that since assuming office, the PF Government has left its doors open to dialogue on many national issues and has further established other platforms and processes, such as the on-going Constitution-making process, through which various issues are being addressed.

President Sata guaranteed that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will not depart from its commitment of upholding the fundamental tenets of democracy, good governance and the rule of law as espoused in its party manifesto.

“The concerns raised by our beloved and revered Bishops in their Pastoral letter with respect to the spate of parliamentary by-elections cannot be blamed on this administration, but can be traced back to poor and autocratic leadership in political parties that have failed to inspire their parliamentarians,” President Sata said.

“It is therefore, unfair to criticize the PF Government when opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) decide to quit due to intolerable situations solely incited by high-handed leaders in their political parties. By law, it remains a requirement that within three months of a seat falling vacant, a by-election ought to be held.

“It has to be borne in mind that whatever the cause, the law has to be upheld. Within the democratic discourse of a multiparty political system, the principles of free entry and free exit to and from one party to the other cannot be outlawed. And we welcome a broad range of law-abiding citizens, including MPs to join the party.”

The Head of State further said it should be recalled that this is not the first time that such a political situation is prevailing in the country.

“As regards the appointment of some MPs from the opposition, we wish to remain true to the Constitutional order that permits any elected MP to be eligible to be appointed as minister. Again here there is no violation of the Constitution in any way because all MPs are eligible to be appointed to ministerial posts. This position is not new. Others before me have appointed MPs from other parties. It is therefore grossly unfair to accuse us of creating by-elections.”

The President said his administration fully understands its limitations as enshrined in the Republican Constitution.

54 COMMENTS

  1. If we have a st.up.id law causing wastage of scarce financial reources, change it. That is why we have brains and are not animals. It is therefore fair to critisize the PF. And the criticism comes in recognition of the promises the PF made while in opposition. Sata need a better spin doctor than this. It makes him worse now as he himself can’t communicate adequately. Chella should have just kept quiet. it would have made more sense.

    • Own opinion,We choose democracy, this is the expense that comes with it….if you can’t see the difference between PF and MMD,then you must be stupid,PF has done things wrong but MMD did the worst of all wrongs.

    • Exactly.Why not just keep quiet he would have looked smarter that way.Now thw problem is we have a not too smart president with a very immature spin doctor.

  2. AWOL! From where have you issued this statement bwana? And in what state are you? We demand that you should be seen and not heard from!

  3. If the Head of state appoints Nevers and Hakainde, people will stop talking. My suggestion is that HH for Vice President and Nevers for Foreign Affairs. Bafuna nabeve kudyako. Their complaints via the media and churches is driven by their insatiable appetite to be at plot one. Oh, sorry, the head of state may try Nevers for Veep and HH Commerce. Sorry bloggers, just a joke gone sour.

    • Sure Lon you very dalo mwandi. You are the one who is not picking issues and responding to your self. READ THE STORY AND RESPOND AND NOT INSULTING THE HEAD OF STATE. Galu iwe, can you tell your father ati bali ‘dalo’. Ndiwe cipuwa zo ona. Atase, Shaa.

    • I never thought you will ever insult your grandfather like that, when i screwed your mother to have you all was ok. Now tell that fool you call you dad that you biological dad is with you on the computer.

  4. I thought the bishops raised about 10 issues, but how come Chella only manages to respond to only one. Denies causing bye-elections yet its clear from his own explanation that that is exactly what they are doing.

  5. What about the indiscriminate application of the POA, where by you allow PF cadres to participate in all forms of violence without restraint, you do daily campaign trips around the country but the PF police stops the opposition from doing the same? Where is fairness Mr Sata??

  6. I thought Kennedy Sakeni, the Chief Government Spokesperson, issued a statement that Government will not engage the Catholics through the media.

    Now what is this Chellah boy with a statement written by Membe on about? Are they trying to cover something and in the process making this PF government even look more amateurish?

    This statement is definitely not from the President but a POST Newspaper editorial because based on protocol Government has already issued their position on the catholic Bishops’s letter.

    Can’t more senior people in PF like Chikwanda and Guy Scott dispose this Chellah boy and replace him with more mature people befitting the office of the president. This is gone beyond embrassment

  7. if the the same statement was issued by a political party,the reply from state house would have been vocious and a total crap.

  8. Were is Sata responding from hospital bed in India ? The people want to see you comrade more money in the pocket promise still out standing !

    • @London, He is speaking from your home, kaili you are in charge of him. Don’t generalise ati “the people”, just speak for yourself. It is not all Zambians are jealous of his ascending to plot 1. Speak for your spouse and children, if any. Wanya muzayonda ba makaka.

    • Iwe kabwa London Sata is in Addi Saba bah Ethiopia attending AU summit follow news don’t just open your stinking mouth to undermine head of state. Even if he is not the best president of Zambia at least show some respect to him

  9. CHELLAH mwaiche u are misleading this already tired old man, Naimwe ba SATA dot follow everything what this boy chella advises you bcoz he has made u more hated than u came in power pipo hate you bcoz of this same arrogant behaviour of yo boys, how can chella justify the wrong that was done by MMD and PF also adopt same method that is nonsense, PF won election on platform saying they not follow what ever mistake of MMD, but now ***** chella he is telling us that bcoz MMD appointed opposition MPs there nothing wrong PF to do it, what type of thinking is this? Chella he saying bcoz MMD caused by-election, again there nothing wrong for cause some by-election what nonsense of thing is this?

  10. Please Zambians in the United Kingdom make a citizen’s arrest on autocratic Dictator Sata including George Chellah where soever they are hiding.

    Even before Zambians could digest what his friends & supporters the Roman Catholic Bishops including his sinner satanist in arms Archbishop Tresphod Mpundu of Lusaka, Sata & Injustice Minister Kabimba injured & clobbered innocent UPND Zambians who wanted just to express their free speech association in Kabwata.

    Sata’s mad drunkard Minister of Home Violence against Zambians Edgar Lungu even teased UPND that Police wont protect the UPND Zambians at the rally!

    Sata & George Chellah are instigators of violence in Zambia so they qualify for a citizen arrest in the United Kingdom.

    Kwasila!

    • i would rather stick to christians than freemasons.
      i love catholics and hate masons….reason?
      “chriatians are for christ and masons are for satan”. were do you belong you moron?

  11. if u think Zed gov’t is incompetent maybe u have evolved or too smart, PF gov’t is the best Zambia has ever had and will win next election, happy with that..

  12. I meant to write that, “Even before Zambians could digest what his friends & supporters the Roman Catholic Bishops including his sinner satanist in arms Archbishop Tresphod Mpundu of Lusaka wrote in their so called pastoral letter (even in Rwanda & Germany the Roman Catholic Church wrote similar pastoral letters despite being involved in the genocide), Sata & Injustice Minister Kabimba went ahead (through their Lusaka PF Chairman of violence in Lusaka), injured & clobbered innocent UPND Zambians who wanted just to express their free speech association in Kabwata.”

  13. The issues raised in the pastoral letter by the catholic bishops deserve critical reflection on the part of government because they reflect the general feeling that is slowly building up in the minds of many Zambians and have the potential to make this government unpopular.
    On the part of by-elections, i personally feel the oposition is also to blame. Some oposition have vowed naver to work or collaborate with the pf government and are doing everything possible to frustrate this government. We need to realise that Pf has bn in government for just over a year and it wud be unrealistic surely to blame all problems the country is facing on pf but ofcourse this is not an excuse for pf to commit wrongs. As politics continue, let us also constructively engage this government so that they…

    • I would agree with you if only this Government did not “sing” songs of being allegic to corruption and lable the MMD as a corrupt party. How can you be allege to corruption and then go about giving ministerial jobs to members of what you have condemned as a corrupt party before your own people? More so that the very MP’s you are appointing have criminal cases ongoing in the courts of Law. This is nothing but a plot to weaken the MMD and strengthen the PF in parliament. When LPM did this, there was a nuance of doing it for the country’s benefit and not for the benefit of the MMD.

  14. I agree with many sentiments above. The Statement is so Empty,,, it does not reflect the mind of the President. Does it mean they cant find someone wise enough to respond and address the issuess raised in the Pastoral Letter? I think PF government can do better than that empty statement…

  15. SHAKA OZ! God has heard your insults against his humble servants. As A Catholic I have entrusted you to God in prayer to either mercifully forgive you, or take vengance on you on our behalf as Catholics. Please testify soon what will happen to you from today. You should just politik but dare not insult our humble Most Reverend Bishops!

  16. You pipo, did we vote in Chellah or MCS?? Why is it that all the time it is Chellah issuing statements purpotedly from HE-MCS even when we know the big man is recuperating in an indian hospital??

  17. Kapokola + Ka Gelo + Kalutele2 + Kabuchende + Kasabula + Kapaso = 1 person. You are lacking in originality and please spare our eyes from insults we are upright people. Ask your parents for permission before you start playing with the computer. LOSER!

  18. shaka oz,
    your devilish insults on the catholics have not gone unnoticed.
    iam now compeled to urge my fellow christians who value christianity to start a vicious campaign against your prefered candidate – hh, so that he does not enter plot 1 in his whole life. if you fools can insult our bishops like this while still in opposition, how will you behave when you assume power.

  19. There is no need to appease the Church. What counts really in Good Governance is principles. For instance, the separation of Church and State is not open for negotiation. Similarly the security concerns being expressed by security wings also need to be taken seriously by the Church. The opposition must allow government to govern. Checks and balances is not a passport for anarchy, chaos and rude behavior. Vandalism must be punished severely. Law and Order alone leads to development. Impunity retards development.

    • The conduct of gvt leaders are more anarchists than the opposition. This country chose democracy and deomcracy must be protected. Why arrest someone for visiting a chei
      f, why stoping opposition to hold meetings with the electorate…..sir you can answer. When you say the opposition should give gvt a chance to work ….you mean they can’t work just because the opposition has decided to hold a rally. Sata use to hold rallies from general election to another and nothing was wrong at that time…..it wrong now?

  20. I’m tired of reading press statement written by inexperienced emotional press aide George Chellah…Mr. President get serious and hold a press conference if you want to respond to issues.

  21. THE CATHOLIC PREASTS SHOULD NOT STOP TALKING FOR THE GOOD OF THIS COUNTRY IT SEEMS SATA WILL HEAR FROM THEM AND NOT OTHERS.PF IS INDUCING THE BY ELECTION THE FIRST ONE WAS IN CHONGWE;THEN THE ONE IN PETAUKE THEN IN MUFUMBWE AND NOW IN LIVINGSTONE AND MPONGWE THESE ARE CLEAR CAUSED BY PF THE ONES FOR COUNSELLORS IT IS EVEN WASE IN NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE NAMULAMBE WAS CALLED TO STATE HOUSE WITH A VIEW TO APPOINT HIM DEPUTY MINISTER WHICH HE REFUSED BUT HE WAS CALLED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD IF HE WANT A FULL CABINET POTIFOLIO THEN HE NEEDED TO RESIGIN THIS IS WHAT THE BISHOPS ARE AGAINST WHAT PF SHOULD KNOW IS THESE PIPO ARE WELL INFORMWED WHEN THEY SPEAKE THEN IT IS TRUE JUST LEARN TO LISTERN.

  22. Am suprised that some people on this blog r living in the past. How dare do u think chellah is an advisor 2 the president he is just a press aid not advisor, am catholic & am suprised the catholic bishops ve 4gotten how they got insulted by the opposition that they r feeling pity 4 this time these guys need 2 b chekd coz if left loose they can cause anarchy in this beautifull zambia, in as much as the pf is in dare need of the no.s in parliament I don’t think its 2 blame 4 the many bye elections that we r seing its the imaturity by these so called opposition leaders the likes of bene HH & sekwila!

  23. Please see extract below;
    “President Sata guaranteed that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will not depart from its commitment of upholding the fundamental tenets of democracy, good governance and the rule of law as espoused in its party manifesto”.

    It maybe in the party manifesto but only a fool or a paid PF cadre would believe any two words from the above statement. The PF can’t uphold anything apart from violence. They have failed democracy, lamentably failed in good Governance and especially the rule of Law. M’membe please try and start having some respect for Zambians or indeed the Church.

  24. Chella and his boss are not normal persons. A normal person will never put PF, good Governance and Development in the same sentence!

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