National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili said despite having the freedom to wear what one wanted, the laws of the country demand responsibility on people’s part.
The Minister revealed this in a statement issued by the Ministry’s Public Relations officer Mumba Tembo.
She explained that the Penal Code Cap 87 of the laws of Zambia under the nuisance and offences against health and convenience had provisions talking about obscene matters.
She added that though the country did not have a prescribed dress code it was the responsibility of everyone to observe decency with what they choose to wear.
She has since appealed to women and men to uphold morals by dressing decently and showing a good example to the young ones.
Her statement follows complaints by that Indecent dressing by women and men was on the rise. A cross section of Ndola residents expressed concerns over the growing trend of indecent dressing exhibited by both women and men in public.
The residents are displeased that inappropriate dressing is slowly being accepted in society.
Ruth Mwila of Itawa area lamented that the dressing of some women in public was not only disheartening but disturbing as well and described it as shameful.
She said though everyone has a right to dress in a manner they want, it is the responsibility of every person to be conscious of what they wore so that they do not dress indecently.
Mrs Mwila said Zambia is a Christian nation that also has a culture and tradition on how women and men need to dress and carry themselves.
“The growing trend of indecent dressing especially among young menand women was alarming and that tradition has to be respected,” she said.
Cynthia Mwanza of Chifubu Township observed that the unpleasant trend of indecent dressing had escalated to young men who are now moving in public with their underpants visibly showing.
Ms Mwanza noted that concerns of indecent dressing should not only be centered on women but on men as well.
Our lack of advancement is summed up by the ministry she holds and herself.
Get rid of this ministry. She serves no purpose at all.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Bana Sumaili can you tell that to your own fellow minister Dora as well as to the MPs that use Parliament Motel as a brothel.
Please don’t be a hypocrite, and try to belittle us, charity begins at home madam, we are still waiting for your ministry to open an office at Parliament hotel to guide those whoring MPs be they opposition or ruling party, they are all the same… You people have no connection with ordinary Zambians once you take office, may God judge you all accordingly.
I miss Ba Inonge so much!!
I don’t miss Ba Sumaili
I don’t miss Ba Ester at all…..
@Nostradamus
How can you say that about ba mulamu??
Ba LT Nabo there is no revelation here.
Ati The Minister revealed this in a statement issued. The minister yapped would have been more appropriate
I love the Lord and I am no ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ but this is one useless ministry and we can save a lot of cash by scrapping it while making sure other relevant ministries are functional.
I also believe in the separation of church and state and any state that legislates morality is bound to be lost. Even the Lord himself tells his followers that he has given them a choice between life and death.
He himself recommends that we choose life. So, while Gay Gay can be an agnostic low life, low libido, low class, low IQ guy all he wants, that’s his choice and I ain’t got qualms with that.
Let’s shut this ministry down, austerity measures and good governance requires it … let’s not be overzealous, let’s roll!!!
Epo mpelele,
BRM
Am a man and am not bothered by anyones choice of clothing or even lack of clothing on them. Its now warm weather in the US and most young people are barely covered
Its how you process what you see that matters, more especially so if you are a christian.
The answer is, the country doesn’t have a prescribed dress code. I dress the way I please and so should everyone else. Dress code is a “mind your f**king business” type of thing, and simply because you wear underwear doesn’t mean everyone should.
Let the on-going NDF discuss and include the dress code in our laws.Rev Sumaili am sure as an MP is part of the NDF
Fusekeni
Those men who are short-tempered below the waist, in the trousers, who can’t resist the anatomy of the womb-men lack self-control! It’s a manhood problem! How did our African ancestors manage to be half naked without shame or sexual immorality? It has nothing to do with dress code but corruption of minds! It’s a none issue madam minister! Ask your boss to fire you!
Close this sh!t ministry down iwe chi worst president in the world…. chakolwa
It’s the responsibility of P0r.n0 Minister to choose which P0.rn0 to watch, whilst posting as Government progress, m/s Godfridah.
MOST USELESS MINISTRY, & DRAIN ON MEAGRE RESOURCES TO FEED YOU, A P.F. CADRE.
Look at how she is dressed herself, she should be arrested by the fashion police!
Madam,concern yourself with national unity.Provide governance that manages diversity with pride.You now have GBM taking a tour of the country just to insult HH.I guess you see dressing as a bigger problem.Frankly speaking i dont bother about dressing.I expect your ministry to support national healing.A young girl is killed in her university hostel by state police and you are quiet.Exactly pharisees would do having wrong and shameful priorities
I hope this discourse does not gain traction or else we’ll start witnessing kaponyas undressing women like in the past.
We are in 2019, how does this topic come even come up? Don’t we have better things to talk about?
I see tribalism in this country becoming a bigger nuisance. How about we talk about that?
Looks like the Guidance Minister needs Parental guidance!
Let’s face it!
Before the Muzungu came to Africa, we were barely dressed as black Africans – only covering 1% of our bodies! That dressing was decent enough, which unfortunately has been labeled indecent by religious fanatics! To be honest, even someone in a miniskirt is so well dressed compared to our ancestors!
Even the Lozi Musisi dress is not originally the Lozi attire! It was adopted through interaction with the Colonialists! Therefore our Guidance Ministry has no relevance on dress code! Please don’t start to pontificate on what we should wear given that we don’t even make what we wear! If you said we should start manufacturing our own clothes as opposed to always importing, I would have been the first to support you!…
One thing our leaders should start addressing is not the dress code but the negative impact of funerals on productivity! It’s so frustrating going to various GRZ offices only to be told everyone has gone for burials! How do we develop as a nation? In other countries, e.g. Botswana, burials are done on weekends only! Monday to Friday is work! I wish our Guidance should be towards things that add to our economic wellbeing than always focusing on Religious matters which do very little to improve morality in our societies! You have forsaken the Ten Commandments and are therefore paying the price by dying premature deaths!
@Banda j. I couldn’t agree more with you.The missionaries are the ones that made us feel ashamed our nakedness but being Africans and also being a confused lot, we want to over dress and yet the people that taught us how to cover up dress up anyhow.
IT IS PROVEN THAT LOOKING AT A WOMANS BREAST PREVENTS EYE DISEASE PROBLEMS IN MEN AND SUCKING THEM REDUCE CANCER RISK SO PLEASE IGNORE THIS WOMAN LETS SHOW TUMA BELE TWANI AZIMAI,BUT FOR MEN DONT SHOW MABAMBA FEEL LIKE PUKING
Some years back, a Pentecostal friend came from a gym aghast at the nakedness he had seen. I was curious and went with him a few days later. He pointed at a group of mostly white women doing aerobics in some tight-fitting bikinis! I personally saw absolutely no nakedness my friend saw! Some of these of attitudes are quite often a result of how one processes information, cultural exposure, religious inclinations, and mindset. It would therefore be wrong to impose a dress code as I suspect the Sumailis of this world would like to do.
Very useless and backward thinking. This ministry is a waste of resources, this woman all she laments about is the dress code of people outside her comfort zone. How I wish this ministry could be abolished and we concentrate in serious than this rhetoric about morals and christian nation business. Christian leaders are just bent on thieving and enriching themselves at the expense of majority Zambian.
Interesting that someone who says; “I love the Lord and I am no ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ”, can go on in the same breath to say;
“while Gay Gay can be an agnostic low life, low libido, low class, low IQ guy all he wants, that’s his choice and I ain’t got qualms with that”
@Harold Muna said and I qoute, “Interesting that someone who says; “I love the Lord and I am no ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ”, can go on in the same breath to say;” End of quote.
Yes and you know why because I qualified it with and I quote”… Even the Lord himself tells his followers that he has given them a choice between life and death.”
If the Lord himself does allow Gay Gay to have a choice who am I to condemn him. Futhermore, scripture says judge not, that you may not be judged.
It is a freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee country and let everyone enjoy their liberty and have their own conscious to choose what they want in life and we should not legislate that.
Epo mpelele,
BRM
We are called a Christian Nation, yes. We have a Ministry to give guidance and Religious guidance. Reconciliation and forgiveness should be the responsibility of this ministry. Hence what is going on now should have been spearheaded by Hon. Sumali’s ministry and not by Legal, who should have been on advisory side to the other. Second, how do you expect the peoples to dress well when ad a Christian nation we promote sign of condoms for safe sex among the youth? Unless you repent you shall all die.Thank .
Get rid of this useless wasteful ministry it serves no purpose. Religiousness or lack thereof is purely a personal matter between a person and God.
Ms Sumaili going by who’s standards it yours? If we go by Zambian Islamic religious standards you too are also dressed indecently.Cover up your face with a burka head to toe.
Thank you for voicing the concern on decent people’s mind currently. We have a long cultural tradition requiring decent respectful attire in public. Simon Kapwewe, championed these issues in his day. Yet the new mothers of today failed to pass this wisdom on to the new millennial generation. What is happening to Zambians. Throwing away your culture and traditions makes people lose thief identy.
We must straddle, old and new traditions in a manner that is tolerable to everyone. Honourable Sumaili is like John the Baptist, a lone voice in the wilderness, but she speaks of kingdom people worthy of Christ’s company. LISTEN PEOPLE.
This ministry is the most useless ministries every created in this country. It has only come to robe us of the much needed resources.
This is one ministry they are using to chew taxpayers money and also to silence the church.