SECRETARY to Cabinet Rowland Msiska has directed that all bars and other public places of entertainment should remain closed between 06:00 hours and 18:00 hours during the Day of prayer and fasting on October 18.
Dr Msiska said clergymen should lead their congregations in prayer for the nation and called on all citizens to spend time in prayer and fasting at their places of worship and churches.
“All forms of entertainment nature shall be suspended during the period when Zambians dedicate the day as a solemn fast in response to the social and economic challenges,” he said.
Dr Msiska said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that President Edgar Lungu had stated that as a Christian Nation, Zambians were reminded of what God had promised in His words.
“On this basis, the President has called upon all Zambians to, with a deep sense of shame, repentant sorrow, and deep reverence; unite in humbling ourselves before the most high God, in confessing our individual and national sins.
“Ask Him to remove from our hearts that pride of opinion which would compel us to continue in the wrong for the sake of consistency and desire to be applauded by men rather than God,” he said.
The Head of State has also called on Zambians to restore the friendship and goodwill which prevailed in former days among the people of all provinces and tribes in the country.
“Let our fervent prayers rise to His throne that He would remember us in this hour, as he did our fathers in time past and preserve our peace, freedom and unity, and bless the works of ours hands for generations to come,” Dr Msiska said.
start from statehouse please,no jemasons
Not even takeaways?
And this man is a PhD? i tell you all the time. the educated elite in zambia are the worst traitors of the country. they are nothing but brain washed regurgitators spweing out all the nonsense they were force fed in school and university. it is a disaster this type of education!!!!!!
Every other structure is a bar in Zambia. Can you please tell me who is going to reinforce this directive?
This country is amazing i think alot of people still live in the UNIP era
Which law gives power for government to stop bar owners from opening their business. Can someone tell me which law he his citing?
Why force people to pray or go to church ? Are you going to pay workers who work in bars ? There are losing money and have got family’s to feed . Is it everyone dull in this corrupit government , will the economy change after prayers ? Loading shedding will finish ? Don’t blame God and making people foolish and stuipt . So the whole government will be at church from 6am to 6pm ? Thinking in Zambia politics is getting weird now.
This is laughable indeed. He has called for national prayers because a lot of people suggested so.
What if a lot of call for him to step down because he has failed to revamp the Zambian economy, will he listen to the people? I don’t this so. PF are now taking mickey out of poor desperate Zambians .
Can some one out there quote me a verse in the Bible which prohibits drinking beer or wine? Besides as some people have discovered there is no law which prohibits drinking or opening of bars for national prayers.
To be honest its not the nation that needs prayers but the whole PF leadership and its cadres who have stolen from people , killed and maimed many people are the ones who need to fast and stop abusing alcohol so they can think straight.
If this mockery of God does not…
If this mockery of God does not work, what next? I suggest Lungu and his entire PF stooges should just step down.
If Lungu wants go down in history as the best Zambian president he should admit failure , step down dissolve parliament and call for national elections now.
I said it before , its gona get worse until UPND is allowed to rule. All these PF directives are a sign that PF ni ba chimbwi no plan.
This ban will set PF cadres against PF leadership for denying them their daily most treasured activity – drinking beer!
It now sounds like a day of national mourning.
Respond to the pastoral letter. I have never heard of a place of worship where perceived opponent is debarred for fear of ” contamination” whatever that means. God does not hear from the proud, he says humble yourselves.
I have forgotten, when did the Late MCS ( MHSRIP) pass on. No purposeful coincidence, please!
Msiska, your PF has brought economic misery with massive load shedding resulting in loss of income within a very short time. To add salt to injury you also want to shut down bars on your prayer day when they are supposed to try and catch up on lost sales due to a previous black out experienced the night before. You still want these bars to pay fixed salaries to their workers?? How did you get your doctorate if you can’t use basic common sense?????
As a born again believer I think government has got this all wrong.Zambians have been watching leaders starting from the late Chiluba to now,steal and squander resources and be the loudest to shout hallelujah. Zambians do not trust christian leaders anymore.We need to remove the log in our eyes and then remove the speck in our neighbours eye. From the time Lungu took office he has only been concerned with the 2016 elections.He started preparing immediately he came in power.Our leaders need to humble themselves before the masses,confess and repent -turn away from their wicked ways..and lead by example.Anything else is just religious manipulation.True fasting is promoting social justice.
@Mujina
You are spot on! Chiluba is the one that declared Zambia a Christian nation and yet him and his team stole big time. The Zantrop account in the UK has monies which the UK will soon confiscate because no one has come forward to claim it with credible evidence of how it was obtained.
This stance by PF is just to deceive people to think that PF has changed its thieving ways so that people can vote it again.
I call upon all well meaning Zambians to reject PF ‘s gimmicks despite taking part in prayers.
Remember the bible says in the last days, devil will turn himself into an angel of light to deceive many. Thats why there so many fake prophets out there ripping off the poor big time.
Next PF time will force churches to collect money from the poor for its corrupt…
@Zagaze, Dr. Msiska is a medical doctor. He does not have a PhD. Excuse him. And he Mmembe and Kabimba’s friend. I guess you get the idea why he behaves and acts like he does.
Comment:Yes, he shud completely abstain from alcohol.(CHAGWA).
Gosh! It is worse than I thought. Somebody educate me: Is this prayer day or day of mourning? The nation needs to listen to the doctor and resume taking its medication…
Can’t believe this sheet!?! You really think it’s going to work!?! Perform your duties diligently and then pray all you wish! Then you will see how God will make the country prosper. Eish, what dimwits!
I do believe this shit dude. It’s just for a day and you will even drink harder the next day. Actually you guys will be doing good to your liver. Lol
Ati …. The move is in response to numerous request by ordinary citizens and the clergy. Sir if you have the list kindly invite those same people and please leave us in peace. The directive is unconstitional. You can not force us to pray 6 to 6 for sins we neither committed nor aware of. Be rest assured i will go to church as usual from 9 to 12. 14 i will be watching football. Freedom of worship
Be careful – now that they’re “wise to your plan”, I wouldn’t be surprised if they switch the whole nation to mandatory load shedding at 14 to prevent watching of football.
Soon they will order all restaurants closed too…
These ídiotic thought police would have done well in Stalin’s soviet regim.
So are PF cadres going to surrender their pangas at the altar so that all past sins are surrendered to God? What about ECZ? What confessions does Priscilla Isaac have to make to the nation over Jan 2015 elections? If she can confess what transpired over those elections, then that will be true confession and the nation can reconcile and move forward.
Fcuk U Dr Roland Mistaka. My bar is staying OPEN for anyone that worships Jemason like our Pres!
I am offering FREE DRINKS so that we can try an forget the sh!t we are in!
The bars will be closed for you to pray very hard for the economy and ending corruption but the bars will resume to business as usual next day..only in Zambia!!
I know so many crooks these days have learned that if you throw the word God and Jesus, etc etc.. around you tend to get a lot of attention you can get away with whatever mischief you want. Regardless, this whole day of national prayer thing is a stúpid charade. I hope most Zambians are not fooled by it.
This is not the right way to go about it is this not against the law any law to direct us? Prayers should be by choice not force because what charge will the police give those found drinking beer
but ba LT naimwe, sometimes I feel you are not being completely honest with me. I posted a comment and you withheld it. And I think I know why. Because I used that taboo word that has 2 ‘O’s in the middle, an ‘F’ at the beginning and a ‘L’ at the end. yes?
anyway I can’t really whine too much. This is your show after all. I’m only a guest.
This is truelly laughable, I did not think this gang of desparado thieves will go this far. This is forcing pipo to do things.
Under what law is this order? Have their business licences been suspended for the day? Surely, unless one is acting in the public health interest and regulations, they can’t just wake up and pass such an edict willy nilly? Someone justify this seeming nonsense.
People were told that PF has no capacity to rule. They didn’t listen! Enjoy it.
So who will pay the workers? Govt or the owners of the bars? If the bar owners will be expected to pay the workers they should refuse. Govt must pay!
Is this how this stup!d and confused PF creates jobs? Fixes our broken economy?
They want us to FIRE all bar workers on a Sunday because they want to score political points with their useless “day of prayer” circus!
Just do the job you were elected to do you F00LS! Religion is NOT PART OF YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION!
In case you id!ots do not know, we have someone doing that job already. IT IS CALLED the CHURCH!
Which part of that do you dull people not understand????
Is God really there? What is you discover it’s all cobblers?
This is what happens when you mix the folly of religion with politics….when are the docile masses going to wake up!!
Very narrowminded and stoopid decision. Why discriminate against one very legal business? Some people get entertained by church music so they shouldnt listen to this music on 18th? If you ban music from “ungodly” sources on national radio station will the police monitor whether those with Dstv are tuned to channel O and force them to tune to religious programmes? Since they won’t these rules are for the poor only. It’s clear people like msiska and the PF were forced to move into our third republic. Their mindset is very much 2nd republic as can be seen in the thinking that whatever the govt is doing all citizens must do. In a democracy people arent supposed to be forced.
Why don’t you close the mines during prayer time? We can’t have people underground while others pray.
Only a bar owner who does not know his rights as a taxpayer will close their establishment!!
By the time this entire spectacle orchestrated by ka Lungu and his cronies is over, they will have made out like bandits and the Zambian people will be the losers. That is why I hesitate to laugh even when it’s laughable.
I cannot believe this!!! This is utter No.sense!!!!
One day righteousness! The Lord God is God, we Zambians are at his mercy and he is never mocked
Why why why why Lunga? We need our beer on Sunday please. Reverse this decision, I beg oooooh
Everybody should go to a bar and DEMAND to be served a beer just to show protest against this total styupidity by Lungu an PF!
Next thing he will be telling the churches they are no longer allowed to give worshipers communion wine on Sundays!
While he drinks his Jamesoni in State House!
Just imagine how much tax revenue you will lose that day. Besides thes Pastor Musukwa and Father Bwalya prayers!! Me NO, I am sorry. Please don’t force us do what we don’t want.
Dictators in the making. One Party mentality in a Democracy. Sooner rather than latter, this kind of irrational behaviour could lead to directives such as that all people in Zambia pray in the manner, and in a church the leaders specify!
I have nothing against prayer but the attitude of Religious Zealots of empty proclamations is what has killed our work ethics. Pray, donate monies/cars to a Pastor (whilst neglecting your own mother) & sit back & wait, behold the blessing will fall on me.
Lets work with our hands, do carpentry in our spare time, do gardening, landscaping, rear animals in our backyards, make burnt bricks as a side hobby, weld gates on the side, make fish ponds in old swimming pools, tailoring, sewing, carving, metal-working etc. then we shall see blessing fall upon us. Lets take a leaf from the Chinese that come to Zambia.
James 2:17 “Faith without works is dead”.
Does this moron understand the meaning of Democracy or please come openly & declare a dictatorship in Zambia. The problem in Zambia is always as Zambians. A lot of people will do as told & we just accept any rubbish regardless of our rights. If HH or any opposition party was to say anything, they would be labelled anti Christ. Evil, corrupt & useless leaders hiding in the name of Christianity.
Since the day falls on a Sunday just pray the normal way for Sunday worshippers; and afterwards do your usual business. It is meant to dedicate Zambia to the Devil. Be forewarned.
Why Nations Fail – Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson. Go grab yourself a copy and you will not be surprised by the goings on right now…
Well, this may be a bit too much ba nhulumende kaka – forcing people to fast, roll in ashes, wear sack cloths, etc, sure! Prayer and Fasting should be out of a person’s own vollition, not by force. Even in the time of Jonnah, when he preached in Nineve, we hear everyone, the you and old, even animals fasted, but not by force kaka. I wonder what you will do to us Adventists and others who do not go to church on Sundays, and would like to do our business on Sunday – pass a decree before the National Sunday Law? Now do not add to the fulfilment of prophecy this way – twakaka!
WE WILL JUST ARRANGE WITH BAR OWNERS TO CLOSE US INSIDE THEIR BARS AND DRINK UNTIL 22.00 HRS THE TIME WE KNOW OFFICIALLY
Why do you want them to close you inside the bars?
Better every bar stays STAYS OPEN to show these *****s that we are not interested in their nonsense!
What are they going to do? Arrest us all for not praying? Where is there a Law in Zambia that says we all have to pray just because some F00L thinks it’s a good idea to make himself more popular?
You cannot deprive someone from their means of livelihood. It is unconstitutional. Move over, Christianity I a religion which is based on free will meaning you cannot force people into prayer without their own conviction otherwise the prayers will be now and void. Government is now behaving like the Pharisees. In fact, with this level of hypocrisy by government, in comparison to the Pharisees, government is giving hypocrisy a bad name!!
…you can take the horse to a stream but you can’t force it to drink water…what is the reason behind the closure of bars on that day..?? that is not necessary at all….
..just the other day ..there was an article on this site quoting a reverend ‘instructing’ the govt to order all the bars closed on the 18th..and without giving it a thot, the govt has heeded to the call….eeish…..
….I can foresee the govt being instructed to order all bars closed next time we shall have a national mourning….
I don’t have anything against prayer but something is just not right about this whole DAY OF NATIONAL PRAYER call, something is just not right.
Political religion or Religious politics. Either way, it cant work.
The silence from the so called rights & civic groups is appalling. They should all just be abolished in Zambia, as they currently serve no purpose. Even the Human Rights Commission is just as good as buried. Just staff drawing salaries for doing nothing.
Has Lungu calculated the financial cost to such a move. He wants to mend the economy and at the same time killing business. If entertainment businesses close for such long hours is Lungu going to pay their wages? This man is dragging Zambia back to the stone age. People should not be forced to pray in a democracy. Lungu should confess his sins and shame in his bedroom. Why force people to confess national sins they do not even know?
Separation of State and Religion is generally considered one of the highest expressions of democratic rule. The idea of National Prayer in itself is not wrong. What is not right is to take advantage of the confusion to throw in one or two personal prefernces. The idea of opening bars or not could be optional rather than mandatory. It should arise out of consensus. Some form of prior consultation is necessary in a democratic country before dropping bombshell announcement. What about loss of business? Are all bars closed on Sundays in the country? The answer is not necesarily. That is how democratic countries operate.
“For those who think that a nation’s economic fate is
determined by geography or culture, Daron Acemoglu and
Jim Robinson have bad news. It’s manmade institutions,
not the lay of the land or the faith of our forefathers, that
determine whether a country is rich or poor. Synthesizing
brilliantly the work of theorists from Adam Smith to
Douglass North with more recent empirical research by
economic historians, Acemoglu and Robinson have
produced a compelling and highly readable book.”
—Niall Ferguson, author of The Ascent of Money
“A brilliant and uplifting book—yet also a deeply disturbing
wake-up call. Acemoglu and Robinson lay out a convincing
theory of almost everything to do with economic
development. Countries rise when they put in place the right
pro-growth political institutions and they fail—often
spectacularly—when those institutions ossify or fail to
adapt. Powerful people always and everywhere seek to
grab complete control over government, undermining
broader social progress for their own greed. Keep those
people in check with effective democracy or watch your
nation fail.”
—Simon Johnson, coauthor of 13 Bankers and
professor at MIT Sloan
On the day, those whose bars will remain open and stations that will play “earthly music”, what charge will they face?
They will be charged with HERESY! We will send the Spanish Inquisition around.
And any suspects, guilty or not WILL BE BURNED ALIVE AT THE STAKE!
Those remaining will be taken care of by the ISIS zealots from north Iraq. They will be beheaded with swords on live TV!
Who is left to persecute?
SITYOPETI! USELESS CLUELESS PF!
Religion and state dont mix so this is nothing but total rubbish
People must ignore this order!
YES!
Me I don’t have anything to repent or feel a “deep sense of shame” about, so I will drink from home with my friends thanks… It’s not even funny that government is this hapless
why force zambians to close the bars??? JUST STOP JAMSON
..looking at Msiska’s picture above is like he is trying to tell us something….he is saying….’look guys, I have just been instructed to issue this statement otherwise I’m also not for the idea..’….’it was supposed to be announced by the govt spokesperson Kambwili but he was also not for the idea so he trashed it to me…’…please do not hate the messenger….’
Press Release ………
Secretary to Cabinet Rowland Msiska today announced he is apologizing to all Zambians for his Governments thoughtless and ill conceived pronouncement that unilaterally deprived them of their Constitutional right and freedom to chose and to practice their faith as they see fit.
He has therefore directed that all bars and other public places of entertainment should open to the public that wish to patronise them between 06:00 hours and 18:00 hours on October 18.
Furthermore, in an effort to rectify this wrong perpetrated on the People of Zambia, he has instructed the owners of these bars to provide FREE DRINKS to all their customers and the costs will be settled by Government, just the same as President Lungus Jamesoni bill is, out of the proceeds of the…
Why are we being forced to pray and fast? In the past we have had National Prayers but never forcibly. One has to be willing to pray and fast. This is not the way bane ba PF!
Dr Roland Msiska you are well read student of the Bible, I am shocked. My brother keep away from mixing religion and state, let the two entities remain separate. The state is governed by the Constitution while the Church is governed by the Bible. The constitution is binding on all failure to which one can be arrested. The bible is binding on Christians and should not be forced on all Zambians. However, as Christian we have a mandate to make disciples of all nations (by sharing the gospel) and teach them to obey the Lord and follow Him faithfully. Once they are they are converted, they will fast and pray out of conviction. This will please the Lord.
If state and church are mixed what will happen if by fate we have a president who is irreligious, he may also start making adverse…
he may also start making adverse declarations against us (Christians). Brother Msiska, look ahead.
Wow we are surely living in the last Days,I am surprised at some posts of people who have refused by all means to follow a directive to respect the day of national prayer and keep there business closed.I wounder why its easy to follow the same instructions on a day of national mourning and not on a day of prayer.As the Bible says”,In the last days the love of God for many will grow wax Cold.”
We Pray five times a day we fast during the month of Ramadhan and on certain days like Thursdays.Fridays based on traditions,For us fasting has an appointed time before sunrise and ends after sunset,During fasting we abstain from eating drinking.sexual contacts.loose talk.backbiting,slander and all forms of evil thoughts.There are no Royal or Presidential decrees in spiritual matters.Have the advocates of this wonderful encouragement of citizens in matters of divinity checked themselves.
FACISTS!!!! HOW DARE THEY FORCE THIS ON US. LAST TIME I CHECKED THIS WAS A DEMOCRACY. I SEE YOU EDGAR I SEE YOU! Nevertheless they can’t dictate whats in our hearts. I will be praying that God exposes them, that their rotten filthy vices especially their corruption is exposed. I will fast and pray on that day but my prayers are my own. I’ll be fasting anf praying that they find no where to hide their rotten deeds. Yes we will pray for justice for the poor people of Zambia, and just punishment for our opressors.
Its now a day of national mourning.
Bar owners! This is the time to show Lungu and his cohorts that we are not ruled by people. We wont be ruled By dictators. We are ruled by the constitution. The laws. Theres no law that states you must close bars. You must attend national prayers. Lets open our bars.lets see who will arrest us. On what charge?
Let’s pray until and beyond that day, ” Every evil power behind the confusion in Zambia, fall down and die, in Jesus name”.