By NATION REPORTER
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema should make peace with the Catholic Church by personally tendering an unreserved apology to the leadership of the church that has suffered intense abuse, malice and harassment at the hands of the UPND rank and file of its officials, Saboi Imboela has said.
Ms Imboela, president of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the acrimonious relationship the UPND government has created with the Catholic Church was not healthy because the Church has the call to preach justice and peace to the country.
Ms Imboela said the inability by President Hichilema to censure Batuke Imenda, the UPND secretary general for branding the Archbishop of Lusaka Dr Alick Banda Lucifer had been construed that it was the position of the head of State that the Catholic Church should continue to be demonised.
She said the storming of the office of Bishop Clement Mulenga in Kabwe by State police in which he was having a private meeting with former President Edgar Lungu had by any standards defiled the sanctity and sovereignty of the Catholic Church, which through Vatican had diplomatic relations with Zambia. “First and foremost, President Hichilema should surely make peace with the Catholic Church. It has been the UPND cadres and officials who have gone on the onslaught against the Catholic Church with its leadership.Â
