Government has demanded an apology from Roman Catholic Church priest Godfrey Mpundu for comparing frogs with human beings and urged him to stop sowing seeds of hatred for political gain.
And a non-governmental organisation has called on Father Mpundu and Mongu Diocese Bishop Paul Duffy to stop campaigning for the opposition in view of the many developments taking place in Western Province and the rest of the country.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in Lusaka yesterday that it was disappointing for a priest to compare human beings to frogs and the clergyman’s statement was against the will of God.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said clerics should respect God’s creation and build peace in society instead of sowing seeds of hate.
He said some members of the MMD were also Catholics and Fr Mpundu’s job was to offer counsel to the Government and not to insult anybody.
“Government wishes to register its utmost disgust at allegations by Fr Godfrey Mpundu that Government has neglected the people of Lukulu District in Western Province,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said allegations of underdevelopment by Fr Mpundu were unfounded and calculated to incite public hate against the Government.
Gen Shikapwasha said Fr Mpundu’s statement showed how ignorant he was on developments which had taken place in Lukulu.
[pullquote]“Government wishes to register its utmost disgust at allegations by Fr Godfrey Mpundu that Government has neglected the people of Lukulu District in Western Province,” Gen Shikapwasha said.[/pullquote]
He said contrary to the clergyman’s views, the Government had continued to take development to Lukulu and Western Province as a whole to improve people’s living standards.
Various development projects in health, education, agriculture and road sectors were being implemented in both Lukulu East and Lukulu West constituencies at a cost of more than K30 billion.
“The Government has a programme to take development to all parts of the country and the people of Lukulu are witnesses to what Government is doing in their area,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
Fr Mpundu was quoted in yesterday’s edition of The Post newspaper as saying the people of Western Province were better off voting for a frog than the MMD while Bishop Duffy had said earlier that the people in the province wanted change of Government.
And Centre for Elections and Governance chairperson, Gershom Musonda said in Lusaka yesterday that his team had just arrived from Western Province where the Government was constructing high schools in Lukulu, Mongu, Nangweshi, and Shang’ombo.
[pullquote]Fr Mpundu was quoted in yesterday’s edition of The Post newspaper as saying the people of Western Province were better off voting for a frog than the MMD while Bishop Duffy had said earlier that the people in the province wanted change of Government.[/pullquote]
Mr Musonda said the open campaigns for the opposition by the two priests would reduce the Catholic Church to an extension of the political parties and the respect they command would collapse.
He said the Catholic Church had many problems which had increased the exodus of priests to other churches.
He said the decision by the diocese to paint a prison building in Mongu was merely meant to issue a political statement because people who work for the companies owned by the Catholic Church were underpaid.
And the MMD women and youth wings have condemned the disparaging remarks issued by Fr Mpundu against the MMD Government.
Speaking at a joint media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, MMD Lusaka Province chairperson Jane Mkalipi described the remarks as regrettable especially that they were made by a clergyman from a church founded on principles of love.
Ms Mkalipi said the clergyman should be in the forefront of uniting Zambians instead of issuing demeaning statements against Government leaders.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Fr. Mpundu needs not apologise for telling the truth. He has called a spade, a spade. Not a big spoon. Period.
So Shikapwasha, just admit that the truth hurts
Ronnie where were you when we used to vote for frogs? frogs = No, logical isnt it? So No MMD in 2011!!!!
The crusade of these pro-katolika Government cadres in the veil risk ending up into a headless political dream by election time. Their passion for Rwanda version two could be their own nightmare in not a distant encounter. Unlike in Rwanda a society of two tribes either Hutu and tusi and literally whole katolikalism faith, the diversity in Zambia may just burn them off.
THE DEVIL AT ITS BEST. Those who have never seen the devil at work just read the above article by shikas and the MMD. Why pick the word FROG when it meant something else. This is what it means to be illiterate. You can see how important it is to put wise people in government. Shikas picks the word FROG and makes a speech about it. Please shikas list the projects you are doing in lukulu. I used to visit my mother in mangango over 20 years ago when she used to work at the mission and that lukulu road has remained untarred and impassible. Why not tar the road shikas and claim progress?
Before these pharises burn Zambian families, they risk sacrificing their whole villages of kindreds first to give them dedication to their wholesale Rwanda version 2 dream of which time keeps proving their passionate.
Let us all respect Government of the day. The MMD Government is trying the best to put things in place. Health sector is already taking shape. Roads are mushrooming,.. mention it
To all faithful believers in the Catholic church,please read carefully the history of your church and you will understand its religio-political nature dating back from ages before the pope was an alter boy.Don’t expect the Catholic church to stay off politics today because it never happened,it won’t happen and it will never happen.”And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4. Ignore this warning at your own peril!
I will not be surprising to hear that enemies of Zambian peace have started reinforcing the bitterness in bitter pharises like Fr. Mpundu by ukuchapa off their entire families as a scheme of throwing them into some worse off bitter run.
#1 you are very correct. The truth pains and I wonder what Rooney is upto because all he talks about is defending wrong doings by govt.
Childless Father Godfrey Mpundu young brother to Arch-Bishop Telesphore Mpundu is speaking the language of his elder brother for their brother in-law and tribes mate Michael Satana Sata while American outcast anti Obama Paul Duff is foreigner for hire by African tribalists in vainity crusade.
What are Catholic bishops up to?
TO excite genocide in Rwanda, it did not have to take the entire Catholic Church holding a conference of some sort to agree on how the Hutus should seek to exterminate their Tutsi brothers and sisters.
The genocide was incited by such manoeuvres as are being seen by Zambian Catholic priests who have waged a relentless political assault on President Rupiah Banda’s Government.
Whatever President Banda has done to these supposed men of God to deserve so much terror propaganda!
“people of Western Province were better off voting for a frog than the MMD” Lets get it right! Did he mean MMDs are frogs? This is just a comparison!
I don’t really understand this man Shikapwasha. He wants someone to apologize but he has never apologized himself. Hypocrite of the worst kind. Fumya kalambe mulinso lyobe elyo………………………
May be the priest was comparing Shikap*washa to a frog coz he really looks like one. lol
look at his pic, he he heeeeeeee…. mmmmmmmmm Ndesekakofye
I would be more comfortable if the statement was attributed to any of the opposition politicians, but not to a man of the Bible. All you who support such language, give this a deeper thought, know that it is damaging the fabric of the nation. When you come to power you will find that it has grown out of proportion. Violence in nations has humble beginnings such as this kind of political intolerance. Elections are just around the corner, they will definitely be held next year 2011, so why should we Zambians be tearing each other apart when we have a democratic process of changing government?
Of course, it is common knowledge that opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata’s brother-in-law, Telesphore Mpundu, is a senior figure of the Catholic Church in Zambia.
It is, therefore, not entirely surprising that some senior Catholic prelates have been conspicuously unanimous in voicing their disapproval of President Banda’s leadership.
It simply cannot be mere coincidence that within a space of under one year, close to ten Catholic priests have been issuing inflammatory statements with the view to incite the Zambian people to rise against a democratically elected Government.
These tuma homosexual call fada need to be dealt with! Just malabishi priest who will be cast in a bottomless pit unless they repent! MMD stop giving permits to these homos as from now!
At first, Father Frank Bwalya appeared to be a lone voice in the wilderness although his ilk was, from time to time, reinforcing his anti-Rupiah Banda campaign.
Father Bwalya’s Red Card Campaign, with the massive support of the PF, was never at first seen to be Catholic Church-backed until Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu held a Press conference this year.
At that Press conference, Archbishop Mpundu openly showed his bias by extolling Father Bwalya’s anti-Government campaign, giving currency to the eccentric Kitwe priest’s public theatrics.
These tuma homosexuals called fadas need to be dealt with! Just malabishi priest who will be cast in a bottomless pit unless they repent! MMD stop giving permits to these homos as from now!
Before then, despite Archbishop Mpundu’s close relationship to Mr Sata, it was thought the Catholic priest could not engage in politics.
After his outbursts at that conference, it just became free-for-all as all his juniors followed suit, which was not surprising when Bishop Duffy of Mongu Diocese issued an ill-conceived statement that the people of Western Province had resolved to vote out the MMD Government in the 2011 general elections.
Following a public outcry at racist American social outcast Bishop Duffy’s unwarranted and unprovoked hate speech, Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) president Bishop Lungu attempted to describe the Mongu bishop’s ranting as personal.
But what was rather surprising in Bishop George Lungu’s explanation was that he failed to condemn Bishop Duffy’s political stance and, instead, insulted the intelligence of Zambians by accusing them of failing to understand what the Mongu priest meant. During the nefarious run in Rwanda Duff was also serving their in duality with Zambia.
Just as well I am not the President of Zambia because if I was the one in RB’s position I would wind up Duffy,Mpudu and all these useless chaps preaching hatred and throw them in one cell of a toilet size,flash the keys under the toilet and let them rot there! Just how could the President allow such behaviour from religious groups to go on? These are the only times I miss super Ken’s style of leadership because such nonsense was unheard of in those days.
Not long after Bishop Lungu’s statement, another priest, this time a young brother to Bishop Telephore Mpundu another brother to polygamous Satana going by the name Godfrey Mpundu, jumped on the bandwagon, describing the MMD Government as “impotent”.
If every Jim and Jack in the Catholic Church can just wake up and say anything, it speaks volumes of lack of leadership in the church.
It beats one’s understanding to think of the Catholic Church as the most vocal of all Church denominations in Zambia, and always calling for regime change.
Shame on you MMD you are losing ground no matter how much you defend yourselves it is time to go but it is so unfortunately in zambian politics that this same Shikapwasha busy defending his useless government he will be in the next government doing the same there is no real change in zambia that is why we still have a UNIP president ask VJ, Zambia needs young people with fresh ideas now the old have instilled fear that politics is for the old who are ready to die for the country nosense you old criminals no criminal respects church they even still in church.
In terms of percentage, the Catholic population in Zambia is just over 20 per cent, but why they want to speak on behalf of all Zambians, is almost beyond human understanding.
In the case of the Bishop Duffy and Father Mpundu junior, the statements they have been making in a province dominated by the MMD and none Bemba are not helping the senior Mpundu Telesphore a bemba supremacist, who has been accused of mounting a campaign to replace President Banda with Mr Sata his brother in-law and a fellow Bemba in quest for a bemba supremacism.
The consequences of the Catholic campaign would be ghastly to contemplate, considering the reign of terror they have been known for in countries like Rwanda. Catholic bishops have come under worldwide spotlight, accused of homosexuality and child molestation, while cases of HIV and AIDS are on the rise in convents and monasteries.
These are the issues that require immediate attention by the Catholics, but they are seeking to distract that attention by engaging in activities that are not adding value to many countries.
The Zambian Catholic bishops must know that Zambians have the right to determine their destiny and will not be swayed by selfish individual bemba supremacists who use God’s name to commit evil against the people.
The role of the Church should be that of partnering the Government in enhancing good governance instead of aiming at creating turmoil.
Zambian people are watching, and are alive to the developments that have come their way since President Banda assumed office in 2008.
Those bemba supremacists bishops and their hired anti black power American outcast Paul Duff who want to join the political battlefront should do so openly instead of campaigning for Mr Sata using the Church.
For any blood that might be spilled as a result of their careless statements, the Catholics will be held responsible, as in Rwanda.
Zambians do not want Catholic-driven genocide in his country the bemba supremacists of Mpundu family, Bwalya and Duff.
THIS BEMBA SUPREMACISM HAS NO SMART STRATEGY
Here is an anti black power racist outcast Bishop Duffy and Father Mpundu junior, the statements they have been making in a province dominated by the MMD and none Bemba people are not helping the senior Mpundu Telesphore a bemba supremacist, who has been accused of mounting a campaign to replace President Banda with Mr Sata his brother in-law and a fellow Bemba in quest for a bemba supremacism.
In America anti black power marxist Paul Duff crusaded for a no Obama presidency, did Americans heed his racisms?
Does Duff and the Mpundu family think the people of barotse land would waste their vote on this bemba supremacism? If they were ever smart they would have pulled the voting trends in 2001, 2006 and 2008 and learn on how much an indignation Satana is in the barotse land.
This mulamu mulamu bingo has lamentably failed in strategy. The more the mpundus family encapsulates its bemba supremacist hegemony, the more alienation and disdain for Sata around the country.
LT you mean to admit that you are Times of Zambia online now
It is tulu. it is better to vote 4 a frog than this kamwendo munjila who only visits zambia once in a while who eats kwabene all the time.
what counsel d you want bafikala. the catholic church has been advising you and you don’t even listen. myself i would rather vote for a cockroach not MMD.
it shameful to have citizens like Mwata who are still living in the cave and still ignorant. open your eyes and come out the darkness.
All you haters you and your pharises are at liberty to shred, burn, waste your votes on frogs if ever you have them. You have the right to forefeit your suffrage right but patriotic Zambians will vote and usher in a people’s constitutional MMD with another 5 year mandate. Zambia is bigger than bitter headed armchair critics that you are. Your strife is in vanity as posterity will judge you harshly. In 1996 we hard UNIP boycott elections and there is MMD.
Throughout history especially in Zambia, bitterness has never built a village. It doesn’t just sale in our culture.This go it alone fantasy based on peddling hatred and uncertainity on the people by these pro Sata pharises is a goose chase. It will keep alienating from patriotic Zambians embattled Sata.
Am not a PF or UPND but I would go with what the Father has said, again we are back to the point we where not long ago. Fr Augustin used the example of Animal farm. The whole thing was blown out of propotion and The GVT said its an insult and it was Ron the big nose making the loudest noise!!!! eeee aaaa empty tins make a lot of noise. The MMD caders on this blog are well paid to make people upset, that’s why I dont argue with them and I dont read their comments to keep my BP at a normal level.
this father who cant father a child bcos he shugs tukampenga mumatako is not worth attracting all this attention. he should think seriously why bakatolika are always in the forefront screwing fellow men in the arse. ask simon kabanda a former katolika priest he couldnt contain his libido and made a fellow katolika nun pregnant. how was he undressing her with all those lobes and head dresses. were was he placing them to mount a nun in uniform
Yes all you haters you and your Pharisees of hate are at liberty to shred, burn, and waste your votes if ever you have them on frogs. You are entitled to forfeit your suffrage right but patriotic Zambians will vote and usher in a people’s constitutional MMD with another 5 year mandate. ECZ will declare a winner and CJ will give oath to the bonafide winner with a mandate
Zambia is bigger than bitter headed armchair critics that you are. Your strife is in vanity as posterity will judge you harshly. In 1996 we hard UNIP boycott elections and there is MMD. We are not a theocratic or a clan of those ethic Pharisees. What stands test of time is our spirit of harmony, peace, tolerance, self worth and purpose in diversity and not subservience to a spirit of envy, tribalism, genocide, bitterness and unpatriotism personifying these ethnic Pharisees.
If anything, our democracy is a winner take it all. Its not based on how much apathetic bitter pharisees have misled. From the millions of registered voters who will cast their votes with respect for democratic process RB and MMD will take the mandate.
#2 is right, why did Shikapwasha not say anything when he and UNIP approved the printing of a frog and KK on ballot papers?
Lol, it quarreling amount so producing maize, Zambia would be a very rich country. I will vote for Kolwe, so that if he misbehaves, we can eat him. Kwesu twalipwa ba kolwe; i hear in Lundazi they are plenty so am changing post-code
On Dora should apologise to the blind pipo: Some of you blogges said it is a phase commonly used like ” can’t you see, are you blind”, the same goes for the frog comment. Why shud Fr. Mpundu apologise. Nonsense.
The Article is written by a propaganda maniac who has run out of ideas to justify the payments Rupiah Banda, VJ FTJ etc are paying him. This jackal if he was there in 1991 he should appreciate that without the Church the MMD would have failed to dismantle KK and his UNIP. At that time the “born again” churches led particularly by Nevers Mumba, Pastor Chiluba, Chanda Chimba III were scaring us that if the MMD took over power there was going to be blood shed in the country. Has this happened? No. Infact on Catholic Bishop lost his life because of his opposition to KK’s dictatorship. Bishop Elias Mutale had just had a meeting at State House with KK when a Zambia Army truck hit his car just by Manda Hill. One would have expected a learned journalist would know the source of the…
One would have expected a learned journalist would know the source of the conflicts in Rwanda. If indeed the Catholics as a Church were responsible for the Genocide there, the Church could have been banned by now. The cause we all know is Kagame’s Rebels who shot down the plane that killed the two Hutu presidents of Rwanda and Burundi. In fact this Limwana should feel ashamed to come out with such a stupid piece of work when the whole world know that the problems in the Great Lakes Region go beyond the Church due to the cultural and ethnic differences between the Hutus and Tutsis of whom we have many Catholics THE ARTICLE REFERD IS IN THE TIMES OF ZAMBIA.Surely can a self respecting paper publsh such an inciting article just to keep MMD in power?
BUT RUPHIA CALLED HH A SON OF A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is worse than a frog if you ask me. But then a dog is more useful than a frog, hmmmmm. MMD is as useless as that in delivering to Zambia. So vote them frogs in!!!! Or a dog?
Most comments posted on this thread are enough evidence to prove how painful the truth, as told by Fr. Mpundu, is to all the MMD bootlickers, thieves, their cronies and the muzungu anikondes.
Yes #47, I am behind you!
What are going to do if he doenst apologise?
This ka fr is a mongrel………………………….real mongrel indeed
Archbishop MPUNDU, Father BWALYA, now Father MPUNDU. Who is next? Bishop CHANDA, Father MAKASA, Father MWAMBA, Bishop MUMBI, Bishop CHILESHE, Bishop CHALABESA, Father CHANSA… Talk about HH being tribal? you ain’t seen nothing yet!
#47 ZATHU AND #48 DISTANT DRUMS
IT IS BETTER TO BE MMD BOOTLICKER THAN KISS THE ARSE OF HH OR COBRA WHO HAVE FOOLISHLY PROMISSED YOU HEAVEN ON EARTH IN 90 DAYS AND MORE MONEY IN YOUR EMPTY POCKETS
#51 BISHOP FATHER
TO ME ALL THOSE NAMES YOU HAVE MENTIONED SOUND LIKE COMING FROM SAME VILLAGE IN SOUTHERN OR WESTERN PROVINCE THATS WERE WE HEAR TRIBALISM IS RAMPANT NOT BEMBALAND FORBID
What are going to do if he doenst apologise? ASKS Deja Vu
Well he is based in the rural party of Western province distant from intervening patriotic free citizens. Patriotic citizens in their own power have the right and duty to defeat evil wherever it rants and rares its evil head.
Rev. Shikapwasha is a reverand belonging to a church who has disgraced himself and publically telling lies in order to protect his Job. Fr. Mpundu and the Catholic Church speaks what is true from the grsaaroot, they meet people, they know how people are suffering. Its not true that whenever a church or man of God say something you conclude that he is separating people and grow the seed of hate, thats ignorance mr. Shikapwasha. You are one the most dishonest person I have ever seen and a reverand, church leader, a man of God, a man of your caliber supporting MMD poor perfomance. I am really hurt hearing you daily uttering words that are not lifegiving. God is watching you.
Iwe Shikapwasha you look like a frog. Don’t you remember the issue of voting for the eagle (KK) or the frog (NO)? Go to confession boy
Imwe umfweni “this father who cant father a child bcos he shugs tukampenga mumatako is not worth attracting all this attention. he should think seriously why bakatolika are always in the forefront screwing fellow men in the arse”.
She even mentioned bakatolika? Insoni e buntu. Stop insulting people iwee.
This father you are insulting is fighting for your family back home. Remember he’s been to school and has learnt a lot. theology, philosophy etc. let me define philosophy for you. it is the contemporary fundamental logical, history of the love of knowledge in the epistemology of metaphysics as evidenced in cosmology. lol do you know what it means? just diking . all i want to tell you is STOP INSULTING PEOPLE TWAPAPATA. its not zambian!!
Imwe umfweni “this father who cant father a child bcos he shugs tukampenga mumatako is not worth attracting all this attention. he should think seriously why bakatolika are always in the forefront screwing fellow men in the arse”.
She even mentioned bakatolika? Insoni e buntu. Stop insulting people iwee.
This father you are insulting is fighting for your family back home. Remember he’s been to school and has learnt a lot. theology, philosophy etc. let me define philosophy for you. it is the contemporary fundamental logical, history of the love of knowledge in the epistemology of metaphysics as evidenced in cosmology. lol do you know what it means? just kidding . all i want to tell you is STOP INSULTING PEOPLE TWAPAPATA. its not zambian!!
Fr Mpundu spoke the truth and Ronnie is hurt by the truth! Why are you trying to force us to see development that is non existent?
And these petty MMD NGOs, pliz, Zambians are tired of the circus and clowns we have as leaders!
These hired MMD bush products they will insult the catholic Church. Mwata wheredid you get that 20% of the pupolation being Catholic? Which ever school you went to taught you wrong statistics. The Catholic followers will not get intimidated by brainless chaps from this violence MMD neither from you hired brainless and spinless driven by poverty of politics. # 44 you have said the right thing about the Late Archbishop Lias Mutale. UNIP unrushed the Kaunda boys to kill Our bishop who brought happinessand unity to many Zambians regardless of their religious affiliation in education, health and Agric. Where is UNIP and KK for their violence against annointed one? You go to Mungu and lay your hands on Bishop Duffy or priest. Yours days are numbered.Your threats are aimless and misdirected.
MMD must apology to the people of western province for failing them for almost 20yrs. The Catholic will never apology for telling the truth. Shikapwasha is a shameless liar and will die like Judas Escariot who sold Jesus for three pieces of silver. He preaches about serving others when he is more preoccupied with serving himself. Some of these hired visionless and spinless individuals like Mwata, senior Citizen, you have just joined politics now and your support for unsupportable aimless and childish behaviour say it all. I can’t blame you but pray for you to see beyond your noses. Threats to the catholic will only make MMD become unpopular and useless.The Catholic has one of the most advanced and sophisicated intelligence and your fight against Catholic is a drop in the ocean.
Isn’t Shikapwasha the most useless creature ever to walk on God’s Earth? He talks a lot of sh*t.
#57 what is tribal about this? These are just Bembas who are not scared to tell the truth. If I remeber very well during the third term campaighn it was only Chitimukulu who refused to surpport it. Bembas have not and will never be tribal, we just stand by what we believe, if a bemba president is doing wrong we will say it if a Tonga president is wrong we will say it… We are like that I wish other tribes were like that. We dont even call anyone names like munukunyuku in Kasama everyone is respected in Kasama.