Police in Ndola have summoned a Catholic Priest for questioning for preaching against load shedding and high cost of living when he delivered his Good Friday message.
In a call-out notice signed by Detective Inspector, P. Chisala, the Police have demanded that Father Chewe Mukosa reports himself to Investigations Office Room 55 at Copperbelt Division Headquarters in Ndola.
In his Good Friday sermon which has gone viral, the Kitwe based catholic priest, Father Andrew Chewe Mukosa, bemoaned the high cost of living, high unemployment rates and load-shedding affecting communities in the country.
He said Zambians were commemorating Good Friday and Easter Holidays under very difficult circumstances.
And Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chanda has condemned the Police for summoning Fr. Mukosa.
He said the move is totally uncalled for.
“Let me also point out that the Church is the conscience of the nation. In a nation said to be Christian, is this what you can do to clergy holding different views? So if all priests start to preach in similar manner, will you summon and arrest them all?”
He added, “Sadly it is this type of zeal that’s brought down many African governments and no one seems to learn. To the Police – This excitement is uncalled for and extremely careless. Learn from the past including those who have gone before you and become wiser.”
Mr. Chanda said it is a no brainer that on this matter the court of public opinion will side with the Priest for he committed no offence at all.
“We have real criminals the Police must be pursuing and not the clergy. 60 years after Independence such must not even grace the headlines of our media outlets at all – Please do not gag divergent views. For warned is for armed. Those concerned must take judicial notice.”
In light of recent events surrounding the police callout to Father Andrew Chewe Mukosa, Dr. Nevers Mumba, President of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), has issued a statement addressing the matter.
Dr.Nevers Mumba said church leaders should be free to speak on any issue and that not all arrests are sanctioned by the presidency.
Mumba affirmed the principle that church leaders should have the freedom to address any issue affecting their congregants, whether it aligns with the government’s stance or opposes it. He emphasized that the Bible encompasses both spiritual and socio-economic issues, and leaders should only face apprehension if they violate the law through their conduct or speech.
Turning his attention to the police response to Father Mukosa’s statements, Mumba expressed concern about insinuations suggesting that President Hichilema directed the police to take action against the Catholic priest. He characterized such views as indicative of the polarized and toxic nature of Zambian politics. Mumba stressed the independence of the police service, acknowledging that while they can make both sound and erroneous judgments, the judicial system is in place to discern between the two.
Contrary to the assumption that the presidency controls all state institutions, Mumba emphasized that President Hichilema, like all citizens, would be interested in understanding the rationale behind the police action. He urged against malicious assumptions, highlighting the need for clarity on whether Father Mukosa was summoned to address his statements or for another matter entirely.
Mumba cautioned against the antiquated notion that presidents wield unchecked power over law enforcement agencies to target political adversaries. While acknowledging historical instances of such abuses, he emphasized that it is not universally applicable to all cases.
Dr. Mumba’s statement serves as a call for reasoned discourse and a rejection of baseless political conjectures. He underscored the importance of respecting institutional independence and avoiding unfounded allegations against the presidency. As the situation unfolds, clarity and transparency are essential in understanding the motivations behind the police’s actions.
@Jack Mwiimbu please shutdown that Ndola Police Station and jail commanding officers.
We all listened to the Priest’s sermon, there was nothing against your HH or Tongas. That preaching was straight from our daily happing.
Even the silenced Pilato agrees 100% with Fr. Mukosa.
Where is Pilato? Still washing his hands????
These are not priests but simple and dirty Tribal supremacists. They have convinced themselves generations down that rulership and governance belongs to a certain ethnicity. The priest is a learned person who knows the reason why the prices of commodities is high. I can understand if what he said came from someone who doesn’t understand basic
economics. Reason why his so called sermon is no better than a campaign speech again the current government in favor of the latter which put the country in the position we are in. If he’s a priest worth his salt, he was going to preach the truth. The fact that somebody recorded them, shows that some members saw the hate in his sermon. I’m not sure though why he was arrested.
The Priest didn’t mention any names…why is UPND running scared….his preaching was on point….HH is digging his own grave…Jack Mwimbu and Justice Michael should be fired
Meant Justice Minister
Am telling you UPND is such a lousy Government…..and Thabo Kawana released a statement contrary to what HH had ordered….HH wanted the priest to be arrested…period and he thought Zambians will be quite but he got a rude awakening this morning when almost every Zambian was in support of the priest….Chipante pante Government indeed…and i think they wanted to divert the attention from Justice Minister about his scandals but it has backfired
Imwe front it’s from state house? Do you think HH can sink so low to start pursuing such unimportant issues as the way Lungu was behaving?
The Police know the bible very well. As such they just want to share with the priest some verses they learnt at Lilayi. So they want to guide Father Chewe on what verses to focus on and when to do so. Like since this was good friday, he should have tried hard to portray how HH is carrying the cross of the whole nation in the face of whippings from the likes of Nakachinda, Lubinda, Nawakwi Mmembe and others.
The clergyman should have looked at the good this government is doing in its attempt to RESURRECT our economy. Since this good may be far and between its better to sit down with Police in Ndola and dig up good deeds by HH and his henchmen. Hear Hear!
This overzealous cadre posing as IG Musamba needs to be fired if HH needs to save face. This is a total embarrassment on ZP.
Did the police attend the church service? How did they know the content of the sermon? Is the church safe?
The Priest just said “Politicians”…this could mean Lungu…Nawakwi…HH…Sean Tembo…Lusambo…Mmembe…Kalaba…Silavwe…Nalumango etc…but UPND and the Supreme leader the Almighty Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema don’t want to hear the truth…HH likes dealing with liars like Kabuswe…Mwiimbu…Mweetwa etc
As usual LT is censoring some of us
This story is a LIE.
PF propaganda.
Come on LT report facts not made up stories,
@Ben it’s not a lie. There is even an instruction from calamity Kawana that the police must withdraw the call out. Father Mukosa was even about to start off from Lufwanyama for Ndola
And since when complaining about harsh living conditions became a crime?
Please note that this priest never spared the PF poo on their misrule. He was the upnd darling then.
The truth is the truth, the problem is the chef commander he has appointed a cadre to be a the IG so Pastor Nervous Mumba stop lies.
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR NATION? REALLY GUYS…. HARASSING PRIEST NOW? NO ONE MUST SAY ANYTHING IN OUR NATION, YOU ARE DEEMED PF.. YOU POLITICIANS ARE A BIG JOKE. ZAMBIA WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THIS BACKWARDNESS???? BUT KWENA EEE
…….
Countries who know the destruction brought by wars dont allow church to get involved in politics or what is construed as politics……….
They advice the religious houses to stick to things religious………
We all know how gullible illitrate and semi literate people are that make up most of zambia………..
This prist is venturing into politics……..
If he is concerned about load shedding and unemployment, let him quit the clergy and work where he can fix those things…….
It suited you when the Church was attacking the PF government.
Tiyeni tione manje apa. Mwenze kulilila ufumu! Leave the clergy alone. Things are as they are, whether they are voiced or not. Just do what you promised you would do. Debt negotiation has been done, so let’s now see what you promised kabili! Musiyeni Mukosa uyo. A Bemba akuti Wakayele…
The party of Angels UPND….Chipante pante Government…these guys have no shame…the rot starts from the head….HH is rotten..no morals whatsoever
They want to arrest the messenger who said what people are already seeing. We have heavy loadsheding, mealie meal is expensive, fuel is expensive, the Justice Minister is immoral. You can arrest us all but the truth still remains.
Priest was within his rights to discuss matters affecting the social and economic life of his congregants. If the church is not addressing such matters, it is useless.