EMERITUS archbishop Telesphore Mpundu says the August 12 elections gave Zambians an opportunity to say no to impunity and yes to sanity.
Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema says peace and unity are hollow if Zambians remain stuck in poverty.
They spoke during a Catholic mass at State House yesterday.
The church service was organised by Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish of Ibex Hill in Lusaka.
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango was among the congregants.
Delivering homily, Archbishop Mpundu said Zambians were celebrating after a tough road of campaigning, trying to sell one’s political party to the people and a lot of anxiety towards the end.
He said Zambians have resisted accepting their country is poor.
“We are rich, only that the riches are misused by people who we have elected to lead us. They betrayed us! So, when we went for elections we said no to this. It is not God’s will that a few have everything they need and the rest have nothing. This is a sin, asking for vengeance from heaven,” Archbishop Mpundu said. “We are celebrating a group of people that says ‘we are going to put people first’ and that’s why so many people turned out to vote, the youth especially.”
He pointed out that many people were in a jovial mood on polling day.
“They were given a chance to say no to impunity and yes to sanity. That sounds poetic and I’m proud of my own sense of poetry. The celebration continues in [a] peaceful atmosphere,” Archbishop Mpundu noted. “Zambians are peaceful people – loving people. They refused to be divided on tribal lines and also to be divided on riches lines. They said no – it was time for change. And this change we couldn’t bring on our own. Only God brought it around.”
He said Zambians know how to rejoice and that when people are rejoicing, there is a reason for that.
“When people speak, it’s God speaking. The voice of the people is God’s voice – don’t disregard it,” he said.
The clergyman also regretted that in the last four, five months, many Christians in Zambia became discredited because: “we didn’t shout enough against evil doing.”
“As I stand here, it is with my tail behind in between my legs. People wanted us (Christians) to say no to this, no to that, yes to that,” Archbishop Mpundu noted. “With the mercy, help of God, we have liberated ourselves. Free men we stand! Courageous people! [We are] free like the eagle. Let us not let any of these isms which are evil again to bring us into slavery. No!”
He thanked President Hichilema for availing himself at the church service occasion.
“He has a monumental task to right the wrongs and that with the support of Zambians, he would do it,” Archbishop Mpundu stressed. “Let him do it with us. You may or you not agree with me; he (President Hichilema) is a humble President, because he says ‘I want to be at the humble service of God’s people – you and I.’ Let us give him that opportunity to perform. Whenever he needs guidance…”
He added that President Hichilema would need everything, in terms of intellectual resource, from Zambians.
“If we can offer it (intellectual resource), he will willingly take it for the benefit of this nation,” Archbishop Mpundu said.
He said he felt very proud of Zambia after the elections.
“I’m still dancing,” Archbishop Mpundu said.
He is also elated that President Hichilema has assured that Zambians will not be discriminated against because: “they belong to this party or they belong to this province.”
“No! We are all together in it – proud and free. We are not to be slaves to anyone who goes against what is good for the Zambian people. Let us raise our voices!” he said.
He reminded the clergy that politics is the greatest game in the whole world, “whether you like it or not.”
He also said: “right now those who have been defeated are re-arranging themselves – probably they will be defeated again.”
“Your Excellency, we’ll support you for our own good,” Archbishop assured President Hichilema.
For the President, Archbishop Mpundu is a soul who stands for the people.
“We are very grateful, Archbishop; you are a blessing to this country in many ways. If we had our way, we would influence a genetic combination as we produce more children, so that we can produce more that are like you,” President Hichilema said. “Unfortunately, we are not able to do that because that’s God’s decision and it’s beyond us.”
He thanked the Catholic Church for what it has been standing for “all these years”.
“This Church has been organised for years and we thank the leadership of the Church centrally and in a devolved way as well,” President Hichilema noted.
He assured Zambians of peace and unity under his presidency.
“In the last campaign, the smell of divisions that were projected by some of our citizens is unprecedented. But see what God did to us. He got the young people to defy all those divisive messages and simply ‘we are one people and we are united for a purpose,’” he said. “It is the young people, by and large, who delivered the change that we see. [They] defied all the negativity! It’s a new page, it’s a new dawn. But unity peace doesn’t mean that we fine. We believe that unity, peace, stability are insufficient if our people remain in poverty.”
The Head of State added that: “if our children cannot go to school, if our children, after [completing] school, cannot get a job, then peace, unity is hollow.”
“This is exactly what we intend, given the privilege [that] the people of Zambia have conferred on us. The people of Zambia spoke loudly,” President Hichilema said.
He said his victory was produced by Zambians from all corners of the country.
“What other message or instruction would we want from the people? What was obtaining they didn’t like it. They wanted something new,” he said. “We who have been given this privilege must work hard for the people of Zambia.”
He emphasised that no one should go to jail for criticising the UPND government.
“If we do that, it means we are guilty of failure. We shall work hard. We shall work to include the people of Zambia, and not to exclude them,” said President Hichilema. “We shall work to gather the people of Zambia, and not to scatter them. We shall work not to deprive but to offer opportunities to our people.”
Deputy Secretary to Cabinet Patrick Kangwa, members of parliament in Sylvia Masebo, Jack Mwiimbu and Gary Nkombo were among some prominent people at the church service.