FR. MWEWA CONDEMN ATTACK ON BISHOP MSIPU, “MWEETWA WE SHALL NOT STOP TALKING ANDNBISHOP MSIPU ISBNOT ALONE.”
Association of Zambian Diocesan Catholic Clergy (AZADCC) President Fr. Augustine Mwewa has condemned Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa for issuing threats against the Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata Diocese Gabriel Msipu Phiri.
Mr. Mweetwa, the Minister of Information and Choma Member of Parliament, this week told journalists in Lusaka that the Government will isolate Bishop Msipu and respond to him in person whenever he comments on governance matters.
But Fr. Mwewa said a Bishop cannot be isolated from the Church because he represents the entire body of Christ and the Pope.
He said attacking a Catholic Bishop is disrespecting the entire Catholic Church and shows the much talked about shrinking of the democratic space and freedoms in Zambia.
The Parish Priest of Holy Family – Lulamba in Chingola said the issues raised by Bishop Msipu of failed promises and lack of good roads in Eastern Province are genuine and affect God’s people.
“The UPND Government attacks on the Catholic Church is not happening for the first time and this is what we mean when talking about the shrinking democratic space in Zambia.Mweetwa is being disrespectful to the Church. There is no way you can separate a Bishop from the Church. The Bishops speak in the name of the Church and I participate in the office of the Bishop as a Priest. That is why as a Priest I am appointed by the Bishop to work in the Parish. I work on behalf of the Bishop and so when the Bishop speaks he speaks in the name of the Church. When I preach I preach in the name of the Church,” Fr. Mwewa said.
“We preach in the name of Christ and that of the Church. The Gospel, the Prophetic voice can never be partisan or non-partisan, it is always on the side of the needy, the poor and on the side of justice, on the side of the truth. So threatening Bishop Msipu is threatening the entire Catholic Church and Mweetwa should not use those jargons that we will isolate you. You cannot isolate a Bishop. We know it is a deliberate UPND programme to attack the Catholic Church. They have called our Archbishop Lucifer and because a Bishop is appointed by the Pope they have simply called the Pope Lucifer.”
“Bishop Msipu talked about the bad state of the Chadiza Road, I have been there and I saw how bad that road is. I saw how people were sharing FISP fertilizer. Even the Mpezeni recently complained over the unfulfilled promises of constructing a dam in Eastern Province, is the dam there?No. So how will they campaign without fulfilling promises? Are we buying mealie meal at K50? Is fertilizer at K250? Fuel, the currency, load shedding,” he continued.
Fr. Mwewa has told Radio Icengelo News that President Hakainde Hichilema should suspend Mr. Mweetwa for hate speech against Bishop Msipu.
“Threatening the Bishop’s life amounts to hate speech which the UPND talks about. But for them threatening a Bishop is not a hate speech and no one will arrest Mweetwa because they are in power. Mweetwa is not saying that for the first time and I know he will repeat it. Those are the last kicks of a dying horse and we will never tolerate that, we will never compromise the Gospel by allowing such people. Mweetwa should be suspended if the President is a democratic leader and he respects the law of Zambia as he held the Bible during his swearing in ceremony. We will not take threats on our Bishop lightly. You see this is what we have been pointing to that the space for freedom of speech and democracy is reducing under the current Government,” Fr. Mwewa said.