CATHOLIC priest Father Andrew Mukosa has warned corrupt government leaders that the corruption that they are “eating” today will soon kill them.
“You are rotting with it and your smell will be so bad,” he said.
Fr Mukosa said prayer is nothing without justice.
Fr Mukosa is a guardian at the Franciscan Novitiate House in Garneton, Kitwe.
In a letter of solidarity to remarks made by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops president George Lungu on government corruption and gassing incidents that engulfed the country in which over 40 people died early in the year, Fr Mukosa said corruption cannot be a lifestyle which government leaders have seemingly tolerated.
He made reference to various teachings of Lusaka Archbishop and Ndola Diocese Apostolic administrator Alick Banda and other bishops in the country which preached conscience leadership to leaders both in Church and government which he said must be given attention.
“Peace and goodness to all people of goodwill, and really only to those people. I definitely applaud the Catholic Church in Zambia for standing in for the underprivileged. I pay great privilege to our bishops, brothers and priests. My article backs up the speech of the president of Zambia Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops, His Lordship George Lungu, on 3rd June, 2020 at 04:53 hours on his challenge on the social pathology of corruption in our Zambian government today,” Fr Mukosa said. “Most of those we thought are our parents have decided to keep quiet on these issues, simply because they have received proceeds from this corruption by our government leaders. Bishop George Lungu is a shepherd and no one will ever take this from him. My questions on The Social Teacher Programmes remain the same and this letter has come on the right time. Older people call me for prayers every day: morning prayer, evening prayer, adoration, novenas. Forgive me I don’t see it like that anymore.”
He said Jesus Christ’s mission and teachings on the earth was to protect the poor and underprivileged.
Fr Mukosa wondered why there was so much intimidation from the State as well as the Church.
“To our leaders in all spheres you will eat corruption, it will soon kill you. You have grown into monsters of greed and selfishness, it will not take you anywhere. I tell you, you are rotting with it and your smell will be so bad. I have older people who always tell me to pray. However, I feel it’s not enough just to fulfil the obligations,” he said. “The dogs will eat you if you are a corrupt leader, be it in Church or in the State, you will never be happy. You will go to hell, and the devil will receive you. I am The Social Teacher. I will always be.”
Fr Mukosa has not just been a voice of hope for the poor but has also been involved in the mobilisation of resources to build low-cost houses for the homeless and provide livelihood for the poorest of the poor in Garneton.