SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
@Sunzambian
A-49-year old ‘prophet’ of Ndola District identified as Francis Bwalya has been apprehended and detained by the Police in Ndola for conducting unconventional worship with a horde his church members at the hill.
Bwalya was found with other church members mostly young girls and women bowing down and facing each other closely, at Dola Hill.
According to Ndola City Council (NCC) public relations manager, Tilyenji Mwanza, after noticing police presence many scampered away into the tall grass but police managed to apprehend Bwalya and 16 other congregants who she said would be charged accordingly.
Ms Mwanza told the Sun yesterday that NCC health inspectors and Zambia Police disrupted a gathering of dozens who were congregating in rather ‘odd worship’.
She said the gathering which mostly comprised of young girls and women was led by Bwalya.
“The mountain gathering worshippers were intercepted from their unconventional worship by both health inspectors and Zambia Police as they were contravening SI 21 and 22 of holding a huge gathering without permission and further risking their lives by not obeying social distancing as they bowed down in their odd mountainous prayers,” Ms Mwanza said.
Meanwhile, Ms Mwanza said the council has continued to monitor the city to ensure the Presidential directive to bar owners not to conduct business was observed.
She said on Thursday and Friday, the local authority shut down 17 premises and picked up bar patrons and owners for disregarding the Presidential directive aimed at preventing the spread of Convid-19.
Ms Mwanza said all those picked would be charged accordingly while the bar owners would have their liquor licenses reviewed.
And Ms Mwanza said the local authority had observed that public transport operators were not adhering to dictates of social distancing, hand washing or sanitizing.
She noted that commuters were disregarding health advice of wearing a mask in public.
“It is in this regard that the Local Authority and Police would like to make an appeal to transporters to adhere to social distancing and also supply boarders with hand sanitizer,” she said.
She warned that NCC and police would this week be inspecting random buses and any transporter found violating directives would be charged and have their vehicle impounded.