Copperbelt minister Japhen Mwakalombe has called on the Seventh Day Adventist Church members to avoid issuing disparaging statements which he says will only ruin the good relationship that exits between the church and government.
Mr Mwakalombe says since government has for a long time now been enjoying the good working relationship with the SDA church, it is unfortunate that some of SDA members are issuing disparaging statements that he said will put the two parties in an awkward situation.
The minister said this yesterday when leaders from the SDA church on the Copperbelt paid a courtesy call on him, ZANIS reports.
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The SDA church is a partner in development of the country especially in the education and health sector and wants this to continue.
The minister observed that the recent statements that were uttered by a named Dorcas mother against government were unfortunate.
Mr. Mwakalombe further added that the ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance will soon issues a comprehensive statement on the matter.
He has since urged all Dorcas mothers on the Copperbelt and the country as a whole to continue ministering the word of God and wear their uniforms freely as government is there to protect them.
And Seventh Day Adventist Church Copperbelt Conference executive secretary Christopher Mwampokota says the church has already started educating it’s members on the importance of remaining non-partisan as doing so will put his church and government in a compromised state.
Mr. Mwampokota however pledged that the SDA church has always and will continue to be nonpartisan and continue working with the government of the day in fostering development in the country.
He also noted with sadness the reaction from a suspected PF carder who wore a Dorcas mothers uniform that he tarnished the image of the church especially the women who are now living in fear when they are in there uniforms.
By no means, and with little measure is one Dorcas sister’s utterances representative of the SDA Dorcas sisters. I also think citizenry must be allowed to “vent”. There is a lot of distress in our communities and if you shut off the only other way they can express their frustration you are building a time bomb. Restraint is a luxury where hardship is rife. We only pray that commentaries can be measured, witty and forthright as opposed to downright derogative. There are enough facts to use without going rogue.
Most institutions where Tongas are in majority have been grossly potilicized, the SDA isn’t an exception. In 2001 when Mazoka was leading, Tongas in the police and other security wings celebrated prematurely. There was hooting in most police camps and when LPM took office there was disaster, most lost jobs. Tongas consider themselves more Adventist than others, most northerners in leadership positions are resented. What that lady said is the general feeling among Adventists from tongaland
Absolute nonsense. Take your trash thinking to the bin. Cite with irrefutable evidence of a brother or sister from any part of the world that was so called resented. You say Tonga this or that, listen you nit wit , no church in Zambia is exclusive including the SDA church. Any human being is at liberty to be member without force. Stop this crappy thinking of Tonga this and Tonga that. Be objective in your writing and next time before you post anything online, put on your thinking cap and engage the brain.
Sorry to say this that the SDA Church is 90% of it’s membership comprised of Tonga speaking brothers and sisters especially in the southern part of our country,the outburst we saw from that woman has nothing to do with the SDA Church but from her tribal background,this country is in big trouble ,I will not continue let me end here before I say something that might hate some of our brothers and sisters .
You are right because Adventist missionaries settled there. It is not a sin.
Look at Catholics, father Dumpot arrived, there is Kayambi mission and Chilubula.In short the Jesuit fathers.Therefore most churches have origins and it is undisputed fact. If you go and form a church called Fyamuchalo Salvation of Black Muntu in Easter province, you will have more members there.Thereafter you can go to Lusaka and other provinces.
Thanks
@non partsain: My brother GOD be with you. I the writer of this I am not a Tonga I come from Mbala. Indi Mu Mambwe, I don’t Under understand why you hate Tongas. In fact why has this subject come again when people have forgotten about it. If you cant forgive GOD will never forgive you. Our former President Sata used to sing a song TUTEMWANE BANE BONSE: Love covers a multitude of sins: Peter 4 V 8 and also Proverbs 10 v 12. Forgive and forget then Zambia will remain a peaceful country under GOD’s hands.
Wisdom Pays,
I entirely agree with you. I am also a northerner whose family’s historical background is thoroughly Kopala. We are so mixed because of inter-tribal marriages that it’s difficult to tell the exact tribes of some of my cousins, nephews, and nieces. Even some of our surnames confuse some people because our common language is Bemba. The point I want to stress is that there is no such thing as a bad or good tribe. We are all the same, although you will definitely some bad people in every tribe. So it’s not right to generalize on the basis of these bad people. I have been in situations where fellow northerners at my workplace wanted to undermine me only to be protected by southerners.
Every individual has a right to express themselves whichever way they want irrespective of whatever association they align to. The minister has got it wrong equating the individual Dorcas member who expressed herself to being representative of the SDA church! It probably would have been different had it been the SAD church spokesperson who had made disparaging remarks! If one Kaonde man living in Chief Mukuni’s chiefdom disparages Chief Mukuni would it be fair for one of Chief Mukuni’s headmen to advise Kaonde men to avoid insulting Chief Mukuni because the chiefdom has been in good relations with Northwestern Province?
@facts , my friend ask me why am not suprised to hear that you are undermined by your fellow northerners? simple! its probably because you behave like Tongaz. you are full of yourself with a funny accent, you think you know it all like HH, you dont respect others unless a Tonga or cattle, you think you are cleaver yet just a mumbwa mumbwa and you simplly cant fit in . why do you think HH has lost election 5 times? HE IS A MISFIT.
Who would you condemn a drunk policeman in uniform or a drunk policeman in civil attire?Same applies to that Dorcas lady.Had it been that she was not in that uniform,probably people would have concluded that she was a cadre from the other political party and not a Dorcas Mother and things could have been okay.
Wisdom Pays,
I entirely agree with you. I am also a northerner whose family’s historical background is thoroughly Kopala. We are so mixed because of inter-tribal marriages that it’s difficult to tell the exact tribes of some of my cousins, nephews, and nieces. Even some of our surnames confuse some people because our common language is Bemba. The point I want to stress is that there is no such thing as a bad or good tribe. We are all the same, although you will definitely some bad people in every tribe. So it’s not right to generalize on the basis of these bad people. I have been in situations where fellow northerners at my workplace wanted to undermine me only to be protected by southerners.
Mwakalombe , that’s just one SDA member and her behavior doesn’t represent the entire church. Just like former archbishop’s attack on government don’t represent the Catholic stand. It’s personal and the woman will dance pelete alone at the police station.
Just count how many Adventists that have lost jobs and out of those how many are Tonga or have some Tonga relations? The UPND recently claimed that 300 Tongas were fired from the defense and security wings. It’s not that they are hated, it’s the way they have taken UPND politics
The dorcas mother is a citizen of Zambia and this Tonga Tonga issue is killing this nation am the end of the day tongas are not tribal i think the Easterners and Northerner’s are because they are the ones who are always talking about tribes am not Tonga but this is really getting on my nerves REMEMBER RUANDA
A powerful voice from the grassroots has sent shock waves in political circles I sympathize with our mothers who encounter poverty in our communities. Its time leaders examined the moral conscious than condemning our poor mother are there to serve or to enrich themselves no wonder I still have respect for our First President because to him there was leadership code no businessmen in the rank and file of government.
People may agree and disagree on this matter but the fact remains that Tongas and their UPND party is causing confusion and division in the country. In the past, we had political parties like UNIP, MMD, PF and these parties never centred their campaigns on a single tribe or region that’s why they were able to win elections. If you want to prove my point just take time to listen to one radio station in Monze and hear the comments from southerners, you won’t believe that you’re in Zambia. Its like there is civil war. As Zambians, we need neutral politics not just a president from my village. A president can come from anywhere in Zambia.
Insults cannot fight poverty. An individual cannot make our country better. We must work as team. People are stealing because we not united to fight corruption, all we say is that Lungu is a thief. Civil servants are not blamed for their wrongs but Lungu. Is Lungu a spirit who can mess up everything everywhere? UPND is taking us no where but to Southern province. Wake up Zambians stop fighting everyone, churches, courts, tribes, UN, government, ECZ, Police, Parliament etc.
When you read your Bible very well it will tell that we were all made in THE IMAGE OF GOD. INSULTING A PARTICULAR TRIBE IS LIKE QUESTIONING THE CREATOR GOD. FRIENDS THE PROBLEM IS HAVING POLITICIANS WHO DON’T READ THE BIBLE AND DON’T GOD. WE HAVE A COUNTRY THAT CALLS ITSELF A CHRISTIAN BUT DENYS THE POWER OF GOD. BELIEVING AND DOING ARE DIFFERENT,THIS NATION JUST BELIEVES THAT SHE IS A CHRISTIAN NATION BUT NOT DOING WHAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD DO-REMEMBER EVEN DEMONS BELIEVE. THIS COUNTRY NEEDS BOTH THEN THIS NONSENSE OF TRIBE WILL TO AN END AS GOD WILL DIRECT OUR MINDS. GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY ZAMBIA