SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes
A preacher of Lusaka’s Kaunda Square area was turned into a punching bag by irate patrons trying to stop some ‘lost souls’ from taking alcohol in the new year.
The patrons descended on the preacher at a local pub on Saturday evening around 22.00 hours when he commanded them to stop drinking beer in 2019.
According to an eyewitness Chimwemwe Nondo, slightly after 22:00 hours the pastor went to the pub and started preaching to the people about the dangers of taking alcohol.
Mr Nondo said that the preacher man told the people that 2019 was a year of divine intervention and that those drinking beer should quit before it was too late.
“At the beginning, nobody responded to the clergyman as we all thought that he had a mental problem for him to start preaching against beer drinking at a pub,” Mr Nondo said.
He further narrated that despite being ignored by everyone, the pastor continued preaching and condemning the people that were drinking beer.
Matters came to the boil when the pastor tried to lay his hands on a few people in the pub, a situation that got them very angry.
It was at that point that people in the pub descended on him, literally turning him into a punching bag.
“They beat him, called him names and accused him of trying to cast demons from them. They also told him that he was one of the fake men of God who were only after money,” said Mr
He said that the preacher man who could not save himself from the mob, was only rescued by the pub security that helped him to find his way out.
And Minister of Religious Affairs Reverend Godfridah Sumaili has condemned the act by the drunkards.
Rev. Sumaili said that it was not right to manhandle the people that preach the gospel.
“Preaching in a bar is alright as long as we take the right approach. I have done that before and I see no reason why someone can be manhandled for preaching the word of God,” she said.