The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) has commended President Edgar Lungu for facilitating the evacuation of Bishop Royd Sinkala to India for specialist treatment.
UCZ Synod Bishop Sydney Sichilima said that leaders in the church are also citizens who require medical attention.
Bishop Sichilima Said that the church is grateful to Government for the gesture because it is in line with its mandate of attaining Universal Health Coverage, leaving no one behind.
He said this today during the Induction ceremony of Bishop Darious Chitalu of Mansa South Consistory in Mansa, Luapula Province.
And Luapula Province Minister Nixon Chilangwa delivered a congratulatory message from President Edgar Lungu to the newly Inducted Bishop. Mr. Chilangwa said President Lungu has also tasked him and Mansa Central area Member of Parliament Chitalu Chilufya to ensure the church is roofed in the next two months.
And Dr. Chilufya said government treasures the good relationship that exists between the state and the church.
He said President Lungu is concerned with the health and well-being of the citizens, hence his facilitation of the evacuation of Bishop Sinkala for specialist treatment.
And Newly Inducted UCZ Luapula Province Presbytery Bishop Darious Chitalu pledged to work with government in fostering development.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has said that churches that work with Government should not be perceived to be taking part in partisan politics.
President Lungu said that he was saddened that some sections of society have labeled churches that have continued working with Government to better the livelihood of people as Patriotic Front members.
The Head of State said that Government will not stop but continue to work with churches because they play vital roles in the country’s development.
President Lungu was speaking during a special fundraising service for the United Church of Zambia Katuba congregation.
The President also commended the church for supplementing Government efforts in providing health care services and education to people especially in far flung areas.
And UCZ Lusaka Presbytery Bishop Reverend Rodwell Chomba hailed President Lungu for working tirelessly in fighting corruption without fear.
Reverend Chomba has urged the Head of State to intensify the fight by giving more power to the Anti-Corruption Commission for them to operate without intimidation.
Whn this church was known simply as the Methodist Church it used to respect local sensibilities. Not anymore. At Chipembi Rev Douglas Gray the pioneer missionary used to speak Lenje the local language of that place. And this was a Briton whose mother tongue was so different from any Bantu language. Lenje was used during prayer at Chipembi and many Zambian girls from different parts of the country who attended Chipembi learned the language with ease because it’s related to other Zambian languages. Today the situation is different. You are quickly labelled a tribalist for questioning this longuistic marginalization.
As a man of God, he should welcome death as his mansion up above, is ready. Going to India could slow down the transition.
Whenever I feel unwell, I just pray and then feel ok
The United church should learn to be self sufficient. Have you ever heard of a catholic priest being sponsored by government for treatment?
@4xNso
Father Charles Chilinda of St. Ignatius was evacuated to RSA sometime last year using an air ambulance! I equally distaste the idea of clergy lining up for favours from politicians …
The Vatican paid for his treatment
UCZ leadership has been corrupted by ECL and the PF.But they are wasting their time.Church leaders do not buy food for ordinary church members.They do not pay their children`s school fees.Ordinary church members fend for their families and feel the pinch of the PF ruined economy. Lungu can attend all church services on sundays /saturdays and donate to every congregation in Zambia but still lose in 2021.
This is why I detest religion as a whole its an opium of the people…people can critically think with it!!
@Nemwine why do you always bring tribalism in every story. Here in Namwala we had UCZ Rev. Mubanga his first appointment was Namwala he learnt Ila in 6 months time and he was preaching in Ila but he is a Bemba by tribe. this time he is in Mazabuka he preaches in Tonga and we have Bishop Rev. Elias Sinkala a UCZ Southern Presbytery based in Choma he preaches in Tonga . And the current rev. for Namwala UCZ Rev. Kayula he is one year old in Namwala but the way he preaches in Ila you cant believe.
Kuntakinte: I hv given an example from Chipembi’s history so that you see the point. Why is the same church not respecting local sensibilities elsewhere? Just debate the point I hv made and admit that today’s church is much changed.
Kuntakinte: UNESCO has declared 2019 the yr of indigenous languages. It’s not for nothing. It’s a realisation that the world loses something valuable whn a language dies. A language that is removed from the sch system as a medium of instruction, not broadcast on radio , not used to conduct religous services soon dies. The first thing imperialists do whn they move in, is to change the language. Why was the language changed @Chipembi and by an independence govt which had presided over the church’s name-change from Methodist to UCZ? To some extent UNIP had “imperial”designs.
There are local government elections in Mansa that’s why this lazy moron is flying Kitwe, Shiwang’andu, and Kaoma Districts…then he goes to Kaputa, I feel for the new Finance Minister having to work with suh an empty tin like Lazy Lungu, this lazy chap is so reckless. The church as usual being used and bribed when people are dieing in hospitals does this docile Bishop really think Lazy Lungu would have sent him to India if there were no elections?
Wabe tole. Even if you are a UPND care, wabeja. Your insulting the president in the Kaunda era, you would simply disappear. Try to be positive for once you son of the devil. How can you be so negative about your own country musula noko? Kuli bonesha.
Lungu should be facilitating vast improvement of Zambian healthcare instead of evacuations.This Sinkala case is a sign Lungu admits he has failed .
some holes in this logic.
Separation of church and state.
Its called primitive clueless politics. If I was a leader suffering from a chronic disease, I would use the local health services as a vote of confidence to my own work and legacy. I have a question, “what becomes of a society where the ruling elite use government resources to preserve their own lives, while the ordinary citizen loses their lives everyday from inadequate health services? Is this justice?” Zambians let us start asking our ruling elite serious critical questions before they make our country and its resources personal property. Clearly our dear Lungu cannot see the flow in this logic of medical tourism among the ruling class.
Instead of separation of church and state, I would advocate for separation of powers because clearly the president can withdraw from treasury at will without consultation in order to achieve party objectives, in this case send people on medical tourism at the expense of the tax payer. If I was a jury, I would note this as a potential loophole for corruption and abuse of office.
Ooops
you’re so happy to be going to india for medical attention. doesn’t Zambia have qualified drs? you’d rather go all the way to india and be treated by some dr you’ve no clue who they are and how much they even care about you (African patient)
I know it’s the trend in Zambia now, but think about it. what does that say about us, and our institutions? why then even bother graduation students from our medical schools if no one needs their services in Zambia. oh no wait, they are for poor and ordinary Zambians, politicians and other connected people go to india, they can’t dare have a Zambian dr work on them….what a shame. I am pretty sure a good # of Zambian drs are more competent than those in india, but there’s this inferiority complex in Zambia about anything Zambian…
“Bishop Sichilima Said that the church is grateful to Government for the gesture because it is in line with its mandate of attaining Universal Health Coverage, leaving no one behind.”
What a non-thought through contradictory statement! How is this attaining universal health coverage? If we had this in Zambia, we wouldn’t need to send some people aborad for treatment. Secondly, only the privileged are offered this treatment. What about the rest of the people who can’t get their health issues resolved locally because of the lack of a political will to sort out the health system?
The church is ‘eating with ECL’