26 April 2011
Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima has called on the Catholic Church leadership to rethink the re-admission of Get Involved Zambia executive director Frank Bwalya in conducting pastoral duties after ending his sabbatical leave.
Mr Mbulakulima challenged the Catholic Church leadership to dissociate itself from Father Bwalya’s activities by not allowing him to use the pulpit for his campaigns for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).
“I am a member of the Catholic myself, the former priest Father Bwalya, who is now Mr Bwalya has caused a lot of embarrassment to the Catholic Church and many Christians from other churches have also raised concern over his activities,” he said.
Mr Mbulakulima was reacting to Father Bwalya’s public announcement yesterday that his sabbatical leave which started in 2008 was over and that he would resume work as a priest while continuing his political activities.
“He has just accumulated a lot of embarrassment and the people will now start questioning the motive of the Catholic Church for allowing such a man, who is a full time politician to start using the church building for his fight against the Government which is based on hate for the MMD,” Mr Mbulakulima said.
Father Bwalya said during a Change Life Zambia public rally in Ndola, which was also broadcast live on Radio Cengelo, that it was now time for regime change and vowed to continue speaking out against the Government of President Rupiah Banda until the Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata takes over Government after the elections.
At the same function, Kabwata MP Given Lubinda announced that the PF would go ahead with the Parallel Vote Tabulation during this year’s elections.
But, Mr Mbulakulima advised Mr Lubinda, not to provoke the Government because he was not a factor and no serious Government official would be wasting time responding to all the rhetoric coming from him.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
‘Rethink Father Bwalya’s Re-Admission’