President Edgar Lungu has called on the Church to help end tribalism and political violence in Zambia.
President Lungu said the Church should help end vices such as tribalism and violence by joining the crusades to denounce such vices.
President Lungu said this today during an interdenominational thanks giving church service for the peaceful January 20, 2015 presidential elections held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka.
First Lady Esther Lungu, First President Kenneth Kaunda, Vice President Inonge Wina , and Acting Chief Justice Lombe ChibesaKunda, accompanied the Republican President.
Others included Cabinet Ministers, Service Chiefs, Deputy Ministers, senior government and party officials,diplomats accredited to Zambia, traditional leaders, former ministers, prominent businessmen and members of the public.
Also in attendance were opposition political leaders,such as Dr Nevers Mumba of the MMD, Mike Mulongoti, Fr Frank Bwalya, Nason Msoni and NAREP Vice President Charles Mabose.UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema shunned the church service.
Mr, Lungu noted that the church played a critical role in ensuring that the country held peaceful elections and transition during a potentially charged atmosphere during the run up to the elections.
President Lungu thanked the Church and all Zambians for prayers that made Zambia have peaceful elections and remain united.
‘We thank you the Church for bringing us together, continue to pray for all of us. I invite the Church to do more to heal the nation by challenging vices such as tribalism and violence amongst others,’ President Lungu said.
President Lungu as a Jubilee nation, Zambia can only build on the past successes by seeking the face of God.
‘Let us thank Him for seeing us through the past trying four months. The Zambian Church can be proud of itself for a landmark 50 years of evangelism in Zambia which has helped us enhance national cohesion,’ he said.
President Lungu also reaffirmed his stance that Zambia will remain a Christian Nation.
‘We must therefore pledge to honour God by adhering to the Christian virtues upon which this great nation of Zambia is founded. Let me reaffirm from the onset that Zambia shall remain a Christian nation of course tolerant of other religious. Let us all seek God so He can continue to bless the republic.’
He continued, ‘Let us always hold each other hand and spread love and not hatred, not retribution, not trading in abusive language, let us tolerant one atoner regardless of our different persuasions no matter how dearly we hold those persuasions.’
President Lungu added, ‘for those in politics and in government in particular such as myself, we are satisfied that we have a reliable partner in you as we advance towards national building. Let us encourage inter religious dialogue for it has made possible Zambia’s unique character.’
President Lungu also called on members of the opposition to help in nation building by offering constructive criticism.
‘To my colleagues in opposition, I challenge you to join me to understand that when we serve we are dedicating ourselves to God, family and the country. Let us emphasise the collective core valued that unite the country and not that which divides us. I invite you to the concept of a loyal and patriotic opposition and correspondingly I promise you the same because in the final analysis, there can only be one Zambia One Nation,’ President Lungu said.
And delivering the sermon, Reverend Adrian Chalwe hailed President Lungu for constituting an inclusiveness government.Dr Chalwe christened President Lungu as the biblical Joshua that will lead Zambia to prosperity and national development following the demise of President Michael Sata whom he likened to the biblical Moses.
The Reverend appealed to Zambians to honour God and continue seeking his face for the many blessings he continues to shower on the nation.Intercessory prayers were conducted for the President, Government and the country that blessings of wisdom, peace and posterity may flourish in the country.Meanwhile K10, 223,000 was raised during the church service as offertory and shall be relayed to an unnamed prison to help with the welfare of inmates.
We all know who the real trabalists in Zambia are. There are the ones who are the first to point at Tongas to be tribal. As long as you keep on denying that Bembas are very tribal in Zambia this problem will never go away. Most bembas cannot even speak other languages apart from their Mbuyu´s language. Wako ni wako is not tribal in the eyes of others. Only when someone from southern says something a bit similar like its time for Tongas to rule. Everybody calls him tribal. Ofcourse I HATE tribalism but we refuse to see where the real problem is. So Mr. Lungu start doing a research from mwebantu facebook page and see how much hate is there for people of Bemba ethnic towards anyone with a Tonga name or otherwise. Just read what people write about Tongas. There´s so much hate, Jealous and envy
mr president sir; with all due respect, i have watched Zambia our country from Colonial rule to independence, democracy hushed in and upto now under the PF rule. In all this time I have not perceived violence and tribalism practiced like under the PF rule. Dr Kaunda our first president preached one zambia one nation because he was wise to realise that this country had several different tribes. Sir please if you can break this tribalism that is being preached by your party then we can get back the peace we enjoyed in our country. People blame the Tongas but I have never heard a tribal speach from their campaigns; take away the power from your cadres and let Zambia have rule of law and sanity again.
Tribalism will only end or reduce greatly once tribal HH is replaced in UPND!!!this man has planted a bad seed of tribalism in his supporters and he has been doing this since 2006!!!so its in UPND followers’s blood!!!if a non tonga takes over UPND,then tribalism will be the thing of the past!!!if one had a chance of listening to HH’s campaigns in southern,Western and N/Western,crying would only be your option!!!tribal HH has painted other tribes mostly bembas and easterners very black in these bantustan areas!!!WE MUST RETIRE THIS HH FROM POLITICS FOR ZAMBIA TO BE UNITED AGAIN!!!
good call indeed,,, i hope my friend Field Ruwe who i only learnt that he is a tribalist will hear this,,, he used critisize Sata a bisa/mwachusa,,, now that we have a lungu from eastern province, he has stopped writting
@ndobo, we that guy, his graffit about Sata is still on his Facebook. Some people even take tribalism to the dead. Miss Sata mweeee, not this Mr. Nice nyau dancer, Lungu.
I had to find out my tribe when ZWD came on the scene, there was no tribalism until HH came on the scene and barked ‘ ONLY A TONGA CAN LEAD UPND.’
Cogent message to the nation. Tribalism is cancerous as it can easily kill the fabric of a burgeoning nation if tolerated. Its about time we got wiser to identify, detest and deny tribalism and its off-springs the opportunity to overtake us as a country.
The mark of a good leader there for everyone to see. Admits there is a problem and asks those considered social and moral setters to come in and help the political leaders to help with the challenges.
I wonder what the response from those Church leaders deeply in bed with, and at the centre of the Grand Coalition? They are barking at the wrong horse and will soon find themselves in the cold…
Love your neighbor!
I have said it before and I will say it one more time … this guy has his head screwed up right, just my kind of guy.
His heart is in the right place … you are in my prayers Mr. President ~ 1 Timothy 2:2. God speed and may the Lord grant you favor, even more so wisdom as you lead the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise.
Cheers!
This is a good and timely call, however, this call should be made to PF leadership since they are ones at the centre of this brutality. PF is the one which is above the law and not the other way round. Therefore, Mr President this message should be for your team as it well.
ONLY SLOW THINKERS CAN BE CHEATED TO THINK THAT LUNGU MEANS WHAT HE SAYS IN CONDEMNING TRIBALISM, WHEN IN ACTUAL FACT LUNGU IS ITS PERPETRATOR! WHERE IS GUY SCOTT IN LUNGU’S CABINET? HOW MANY BEMBAS, HOW MANY NYANJAS ARE IN LUNGU’S CABINET? AND COMPARE THAT WITH THE NUMBER OF TONGAS, LOZIS, KAONDES, LUNDAS,LUVALES ALL PUT TOGETHER IN LUNGU’S CABINET. DOESN’T THAT SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT LUNGU’S TRIBALISM? WAKE UP ZAMBIANS! DON’T BE DECEIVED BY SIMPLE RHETORIC FROM CHAKOKWA CHAGWA KALE LUNGU. THESE ARE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF HIS USUAL HANGOVERS!
I will not be a victim of deception by Lungu & the pf divisive government. Not entill pf stop using tribalism & violence as a propaganda to bring down the opposition at the cost of nation unite will I start respecting the current government. Pf should know that we are not fools. Zambians can’t be fooled!
A pariah in the current political dispensation, is all Icilema is, with neither rudder nor anchor!
First step taken. HE is the right person to spearhead the crusade against tribalism. Everyone and everything will fall in place. PF started this scourge in 2011. Thank HE Lungu. This is a legacy you cannot afforrd to carry on. You can even deal with the Constitution sir. Do not listen to the prophets of doom in your party who say it cannot be done. Even those Clauses you said you did not like can still be included sir. The matter is not personal. In the 21st Century those Clauses are right on, your Excellency.
@Chitutuma
Talk about the lack of vision and current malaise in:
1. spectecular fall of the Kwacha
2. PF cadres hacking opposition marketeers
3. bloated cabinet in midst of poverty
4. PF DPP getting himself off hook through nolle
5. reduction of mealie meal by K4 out of K90
6. further contraction of debt another US$1 billion
7. joblessness amongst youths
8. non payment of govt suppliers
9. impending doom of copper mines which Chikwanda wants to sell to Katumbi
10. the reason 47% of voters (W, Cent, NW + S) rejected PF
11. PF cadres abuse of position through tenderprenuering
12. PF machinations to launder RB criminal cases and his restoration of benefits behind back doors
13. continued water logging of many townships including Edgar’s chawama
14.
Remember its thia selfsame EL who deported a Rwandan priest for being involved in politics today he is asking the church to get involved…really laughable!!
Yes, but also get rid of tribal friends like R.Banda.
current tribalism has led us into poverty, wish we had HH for president, but those Tongas cost us elections.
How can the church help you stop political violence when its pf cadres who attacked church members in matero,the police who supposed to keep law and order are cadres themselves.
The pastor likes lungu to joshua,this is misleading the nation.The truth is opposite is leading us to Babylon.
A country of pangas,land grabbing,tribalism,
Tell Bembas and RB who are the worst tribal lists.
Someone has so quickly forgotten what ECL said bately 6 weeks ago. He encouraged his party to fight and when those panga family characters nearly downed the Helicopter in Shiwang’andu, he did not see anything wrong. The very panga family are about to turn on him, he runs to the church for help.
Ensure equal distribution of wealth to all zambians. There is no tribalism in Zambia. The one mostly talked about is a political one where some tribes try to prevent others from occupying higher offices.
I like his Execellence´s approach to through the word of mouth but in action he has already shown that is not for the idea of uniting Zambia. In his Cabinet no Tonga. I am from Eastern province and I feel on this point he was supposed to be the first one to show by example. The late was a cunning man and I hope he will do this to unite the nation.
Would he have gone for the service if he had lost the election? Rather thank your God for making you president and not for peaceful election – they certainly were not peaceful, were they?
If you want to full any Christian just pretend to be one, That is what EL is doing pretending to be one because the spirit of discernment is no longer with Christians and anyone can full them. Just like they have been fulled that Zambian is a Christian nation when all governments that have been there have not even lived an inch to Christian values
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema shunned the church service.
…
Of course light cannot mix with darkness! Masonist!
The Government needs to pass a law against hate speech and discrimination based upon someone’s tribe and they need to be in the forefront of obeying it.
Sam pipo there mouth stinks without memtion bembas . Lets not jurge pipo as a group lets do it on idividuals as a tool 2 curb tribalism
ECL….Yes Mr. President, Zambia is behind you all the way. Very wise to include and involve the church in these difficult matters. VIVA ECL!
Look at this E Lungu. A total embarrasment.
Wasn’t it the other day when he was telling his critics, ‘Go away from Zambia. I will send the police to pounce on you. I will crush you like a block machine.’
And you call this character a president?
The problem with Lungu is that he never means what he says. Is he not the one who was saying PF are very strong and they can crash UPND, especially now that they have even combined with MMD? This was at a rally in Kapiri before the 20th January elections. Then on another day instead of condemning PF violence, he goes on to allege that it’s UPND cadres dressed in PF regalia who are perpetuating violence so as to tarnish the latter’s name.
Then the police are scared of arresting the PF hoodlums but Lungu is quiet about it. Only you Mr president can stop the violence and not the church.
Ukabila zambia umeletwa na Bemba mafias ,ujinga wao wa kisiasa katika PF na wakora wa copper belt .
Without Bembas zambia would have no tribalism.
U r a dog and a very big 1 at that,weshilu wee
Looking at the response from Chile1, that might be closer to the truth….go on brother….hammer them tribalists!
@Mzambia, Stop hallucinating namazai iwe. Wafite tole ngamuchinena chakwa noko
@Zemuntu changed to Jacombian Transform
And so you PF Bembas have the cheek to call us namazai.
@ Mzambia wa Zamani
You don’t sleep without mentioning the name”bemba”? Just your stinking name tells me that you are the worst tribalist. You don’t even know who the real tribalists are. You go and visit Vet medicine at UNZA! Infact there is on tribe in Southern Province which has taught others to be tribal becoz they first began it starting from parastatals as CEOs down to a sweeper. I am not Bemba but u love bembas becoz they are the least tribal.
Mjinga mkubwa niwewe sio sisi, tuhache tu, umefilwa? au ni bwana yani majungu yanini!
Hahaha,ukweli unawauma sana hawa wajinga na wakora wa Bemba evil empire.
How can a nation of 72 tribes have 0ver 50% positions occupied by hegemonic Bembas…na nyie mafisi wa Bembas munaona hiyo ni haki?
Hypocrisy is being the same one yourself who is bringing the violence and tribalism, and then asking that others should stop… Start with yourself
Also stop asking God to do your job for you. God has better things to do
Radiator Zimba, fear God and give glory to him. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Thou shall not mention God’s name in vain. God is love.
Of course everyone should fear God sir, you are right. But HE Lungu is a man, with a job to do within man’s earthly domain. In many countries, news stories on leaders invoking God’s help are unusual, since the modern expectation is for a leader to govern through competence, not through God’s mercy. We have a peaceful country unaffected by war and natural disaster, so all we need is hardworking honest leadership as was the case with the late HE Michael Sata. He did not waste any time talking about God – he woke up in the morning and he simply did his job for the nation. Those who say blasphemous things like “Lungu ni mwana wa Mulungu” are the ones taking God’s name in vain
Please lead by example by balancing your cabinet and other appointments. Form an inclusive government. You are the key; you don’t even have to pray or ask others.
EL and violence are one – witness the Kabwe conference. He ascended to his position by extreme violence. All his competitors were hounded out of the conference where he went ‘unopposed’.
EL and tribalism are one. Rupiah and bed wetting chisusu both went tribal viral during campaigns prompting even Munkombwe an erstwhhile critic of HH to bulk.
And now EL violence is even more pronounced. If you don’t like him:
1. Go away from Zambia, if you dont there are two things he will do.
1. He will crush you like a stone crusher, and you don’t die, there are two things he will do.
1. He will send the police to pounce on you. And if they dont there are two things he will do.
1. He will fire the police chief and
2. He will recruit 40 000 police to pounce on you.
Damage has been done already ask the church to help so the country can be divided into 2 panga family and bantubototwe. I am sick and tired and have been told words by panga family group in my face that Kaondes, Lozis, Tongas, Luvales and lundas will never rule Zambia, so i am not interested to go by ending it but to separate it.
lungu thinks that someone above him should enforce the law to stop the violence,tribalism and corruption in zambia.EL learn to exercise your powers.sermon the IG and instruct her to deal with the issue of violence.asure her of your backing.believe me or not within a day markets will be free of cadrelism.leadership crisis.
Who is he fooling….anyway our docile people are easily fooled by such antics especially attended church on Sunday with a bible in hand…Chiluba played this role excellently; I’m surprised he was not awarded an oscar.
I really wonder if the word inclusive is correctly understood. Asking the church to end tribalism and a priest stands to say yours sir is an inclusive government. Do you think anything good can come from such retards. In the first place its the president who needs to end tribalism by genuinely balance his cabinet. Why has he decided to sideline Southern province if this is not practicing tribalism? Can he categorise his cabinet province by province before asking the church which also does not know what it is asked to do?
He has decided to sideline Southern Province, because you guys are tribalists! You refuse to work with him, so why should he force you! Stay there anyway who needs you?
A Lungu, before you ask God’s intervention, do what you can humanly do like ending tribal discrimination, ending political violence, ending dictatorship, ending hypocracy and stop being arrogant. Once you do your part, then you can ask God, through the church for help.
Who allowed the man in the pulpit? No he is not being honest he’s acknowledged that their is a problem but he’s not on record for doing anything to stop the vice. Mr president DO some! And then ask the church to help.
Going by his statements on stopping violence, EL shows signs of being very irresponsible!!! I dont like meritocracy such as this being exercised by a so called president!
Ur excellency the only person who cn help us end all this is tha upnd leader r hakainde hichilema,tell him to advice his people to refrain frm tribalism and to b respectful of otha pipo,
Breaking News
UPND Munali Constituency Youth Chairman by the name of Glyzer has been brutally murdered by a group of known PF thugs wielding pangas around 02:00 hours this morning.
Good keep it Edgar that is how a good leader should be.Preach about this on a daily basis may be people may understand.
Good start but, as long as the self denial attitude of “they are tribalists” and “we are not”, there will be no fundamental change. Almost all the imminent political figures that attended this meeting appear to have come from the same or allied geo-political camp- please correct me. Provide for a truly neutral discussion forum under an impartial and seasoned facilitator of good national or international standing to lead such a discussion.
LT you know that choosing to mention “UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema shunned the church service” is nothing but malice aimed at further maligning HH! Was he the only leader that never attended the service? Why not mention Guy Scott, RB, Nawakwi, Kaseba, Muliokela, Milupi, and many more, or is it that opposition leaders should attend each and every function that the president has been invited to?
Mr Lungu, Im your critic, but I must say that I like the fact that you are not ashamed to still declare Zambia a Christian nation, and for admitting that there is a problem in the country. How to resolve these issues is another story for another day.
LUNGU YOU ARE SUCH A SLY OF A PRESIDENT! YOU ARE A PRETENDER! WHO DOESN’T KNOW THAT YOU ARE NUMBER 1 OF A TRIBALIST? WHAT IS YOUR CABINET COMPOSITION? WHY DID YOU LEAVE OUT GUY SCOT? YOU ARE A SHALLOW THINKER MR. NYANJA PRESIDENT, WHO WAS ASSISTED TO STEAL POWER FROM UPND BY A NYANJA FORMER PRESIDENT! AND THAT IS PURE TRIBALISM!
Yussss! Tribal StrongMan missed the service.He is the axis of this evil!
Yes, HH stayed away from this meaningless service together with the 47% of Zambia, that support him from the lengths and breadth of Zambia.
Why come to a party where the one pontificating says you should go away from Zambia when a Northerner (Bemba) raises concerns in his party?
Lesa tashentekwa! ‘walk the talk’ and careful what you say to his people, lest you call for his wrath!
Tribalism can be ended, but not by words in the church alone, but by actions from the president and his government.
the first step is to put in place law that gives quarters to provinces for workers at all senior management levels in the country.
second is to outlaw tribal talk as a criminal offence.
third is to start acting now, by reversing the hegemony that sata has created in all institutions of the nation.
without this happening, the church will talk and talk, and so will edgar, but nothing will change.
as an example, racism had to be outlawed by law in the uk and us, and though it still happens, it has had an impact worth talking about.
tribalism needs to be controlled through law, not mere appeals
Apartheid is outlaw almost everywhere. Tribalism is apartheid.
Zambia has not outlawed apartheid (aka tribalism).
Edgar is a lawyer. He knows morality is not encorceable. He knows what to do. It is not the church. It is government that must stop apartheid by legislation.
This is useless indeed!! How can someone orchestrating violence go to the temple and defile it that way when he knows that he is the one fanning violence and tribalism in the country? Every sane Zambian knows Lungu very well and he has not rebuked the pf cadres for the ills of violence and tribalism they perpetrate.. Mr Lungu please, surely God cannot be mocked by man, Mohammed yes!. Your days are getting numbered so abruptly! You know well how you trying to secularise the country and even make half Moslim instead of Christian country because just how can a moslim head christians? Your religion does not allow you.
It is shocking and disappointing that the Head of state is appealing to the church to help ending violence and tribalism. Honestly he is supposed to have clear cut ideas to tackle such issues. If I was head of state I would have taken steps to stop these vices. I am totally disappointed, EL was supposed to iron out the strategies to stop these vices instead of showing failure!!!
Hypocricy of the highest order!
Northern , Luapula, and now Muchinga have been voting on regional basis since independence and there was nothing wrong with it – a pattern of semblence is shown by Southern, Barotseland and Balovale and Northe-Western Regions and there is everything wrong with it? Come on: who is fooling who?
Who said that individualism, tribalism, regionalisn, or patriotism were vices? To the contrary, they all are natural virtues! All one needs is to manage them in an equitable manner – they are all esprit de corps!
Lungu mustproduce the list of PSs and those in the foreign service before he waffles about tribalism. Infact, others tried to address it though in a cosmetic way. He has shown open hatred for people from Southern Province. When people call for equity its not tribalism. Just be transparent and give us a list of our PSs, Council Secretaries, and board members in most of these boards. When you do that you will not hypocritically shout ‘One Zambia, One Nation’. SHAME.
But some people can be so dull,stupid,blind,illiterate,primitive so …!Surely when & where was the church used successfully,when it is partisan,to bring law & order in society? The violence is fully supported & is inherent in PF!The perpetrators & sponsors of violence are openly known by any normal person!The police service has totally failed completely & the most dull president to have ruled Zambia,in the annals of Zambian history is on record on numerous occasions sowing seeds of bad governance from his own drunken mouth! Its too early for PF President to concede defeat on those simple vices!He has the intelligence wing,defence,police & party officials to immediately halt these vices! This episode of PF era will be the worst in all aspects to live in! Its…
He has the intelligence wing,defence,police & party officials to immediately halt these vices! This episode of PF era will be the worst in all aspects to live in! Its surprising to see people such as Mumba,KK,Useless Church devil Leaders knowingly & stay mute on obvious issues!
Why is it that people are prosecuted for racism or racial utterances and yet nobody has ever been sanctioned or prosecuted for tribal slander?. The same sanctions should be meted on tribal utterances if the vice is to stopped.