Government says it is deeply concerned with the clergy who are in the habit of swindling people of their hard earned money.
Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister, Godfridah Sumaili disclosed in a statement released to ZANIS last evening that she is concerned with the continued reports and incidences involving ‘Men of God’ in criminal activities.
Ms. Sumaili condemned in strongest terms the clergymen who betray the trust of their calling as well as church members.
The Minister encouraged members of the general public to take caution when entrusting their resources with people of questionable character.
“Government is greatly concerned with continuous incidences and reports of people being swindled of their hard earned money by unscrupulous pastors. I encourage the Police to take decisive action on such criminality,” the Minister said.
Mrs. Sumaili appealed to the Zambia Police to continue acting decisively on perpetrators of criminality.
She disclosed that her Ministry will engage the church mother bodies by working together in order to bring sanity among the clergy and religious organisations.
In September this year, Police in Lusaka arrested Pastor John Simfukwe of Inter-denominational Jesus Ministries, Chipata Overspill Compound for having swindled his own congregant a widow of K260, 000.
Facts of the matter are that in August this year, Mildred Chikote gave Pastor Simfukwe K170, 000 with a view that he will buy her a house, the clergyman went on to obtained K90, 000 in the name of blessing her money which was meant for her to do business which he never returned.
Police cornered the suspect and charged him with two counts namely obtaining money by false pretense and theft.
Simfukwe has since appealed in court.
Government is concerned. Government has warned.
Useless ministers tarnishing President Lungu’s legacy
All I know is that the Bible is the bestseller of all time. Other than that, it’s no different from my other fiction novels.
I blame gullible women who enable Pastorpreneurs. Why in the world are you giving your hard earned money to support a lifestyle you will only dream of, or to get treated of HIV when you can actually go to your local hospital and get ARV’s?
Religion Is An Opium To Those Who Fall Into It!
Is it just me observing this or it’s actually a fact of life for politics when it comes to women among the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise??
Women Ministers of different portfolios seem to be more effective than their menfolk!!! They appear to be having the greatest impact on policy in the ministries they run.
Need I say this breed of Africans called Zambians are simply the best when it comes to gender balance and we can prove that women are equal partners?? The world should take notice and recognize.
What A Sweet Life ~ B R Mumba, Sr
Madam you are also stealing by occupying that fraudulent position ….@ Mr Kudos if Lungu cannot see his image being tarnished while your skull without eyes can see then that says a lot about Chagwa himself than the Ministers ..he has maintained that his Ministers are hardworking. Oh! and by the way Lungu himself is full of empty warnings
Starting with yourself Reverend, you know that politics is not a place for true men and women of God. Politics is all about lies, deception and “serving” your leader and party without question, you have compromised yourself and that’s why you cannot condemn all the wrongs and open corruption that is going on. Check yourself first before pointing to other Pastors!
Religion has been used to justify a whole host of violent atrocities throughout history, and there are religious leaders who have been directly or indirectly responsible for countless deaths. Many of them thought they were doing God’s work.
Crooks, criminals, serial rapists, murderous , robbers ..etc. classify and address them as such, for this is who they are… Not men of God. Discharge heavily armed police upon them to deal with them harshly.
I wish this can go away. I don’t know our we can defend thesis on this issue of government and the church. Too many holes. The only thing left justification from both sides.
We are more concerned about our leaders looting, conning the nation.What those men of god loot is pocket change compared to what you and your friends loot so shut up…
Talk about that Chicken run of a Toll Plaza said to have cost 4.5 Million US Dollars! Do we even need this ministry in the first place?
Regulate activities of churches in this country. As it is now, becoming a church person is the simplest way of making a living in Zambia and the government encourages it. The guidance this Ministry should be giving is instilling values of honesty, hard work, innovation and entrepreneurship among the citizens – not letting people live by belief and await divine intervention to resolve their problems. Look at the Chinese for example, you embrace partnership with them on our projects but you ignore what made them get to be on top of us. You ignore best practices that contributed to making historical revolutions that transformed underdeveloped societies to advanced world (power) economies. Look at the way this minister is decorated with rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc like a…
They are crooks,people are not swindled anyhow,there is trust involved. According to fraud triangle there are three element involved for someone to be a perpetrator.
1. Perceived pressure
2.Perceived opportunity
3. Rationalization- I deserve this, I am just borrowing,
Churches are just business opportunities for so many unscrupulous people.
Christianity, and all other religions, are awash with insidious, hypocritical, manipulative, self-worshiping mother f u c k e rs..
Just do a Paul kigame on them , ban them all unless they go to collage.
All those crook plastors banned by kigame are in Zambia…
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People’s reliance on religion keeps them like sheep. There is a real need for more critical thinking in Zambia
There are no men of God and then the others. We are all men of God
“Clergy says it is deeply concerned with the Ministers who are in the habit of swindling people of their hard earned money”: This is what the story should have been. Not the other way round. Oh maybe its also true except that the clergy have not said it first. There are more Ministers thieves than the clergy by percentage.
Anyway she is just trying to sound relevant after all her Ministry is irrelevant. Benze kushombesa kuli maboss and promised a Ministry. Thats what bottom corruption power can do. It takes your thinking away and end up promising heavens in hell. Pillow talk – Marubbish.
Disaster!!!!!
Useless minister, useless ministry
I fervently hope that in the next government, whether by PF or not, this Ministry will be history. First off, religious activity like politics is where a lot of losers hide. There is no way of vetting a so-called man of god because there is no interview or qualification requirement other than hocus pocus and finding a crowd to baffle. Let’s regulate this space bane nangu tapasoswa!! Awe mwandini. Ifyabupuba fye lyonse. Remove Ministry of Fairy Tales from Government napapata!
The most useless ministry created by the most corrupt President!!
The most useress TRIBAL president of a tribal H-organisation in Zambia will NEVER be a president in Zambia. No matter how much he sacrifices, Jesus’ blood is stronger than his little sacrifices. Have they found out who killed his body guard yet? You can know that online leader of the MAPATIZYA FORMULA of a tribal H-organisation. Tell us more little boy!
Usually Satanists NEVER appreciate anything godly.
Hon. Minister read Romans 9:6 with understanding.
It starts with you government using God’s name in vain; you are the biggest cons. Today ati “national day of fasting”, tomorrow you are brutalising your opponents over trumped up charges
It starts with PROF. HANSONI and it ends up with a TRIBAL GROUPING masquerading as a political party.