It’s Not About President Lungu, It’s About All Leaders

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By Derrick Sinjela

THE Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) wishes to correct the story published in the News Diggers tabloid No. 180 published on Monday, May 21, 2018 with the headline ‘God will humble Lungu if he thinks he owns Zambia’ says COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Michael Mazakaza.

Mr Mazakaza. recollected that in an interview with a News Diggers news reporter, the CCZ General Secretary Fr Emmanuel Chikoya never at any point singled out President Lungu as a man who thinks he owns Zambia.

Instead, Fr Chikoya’s sentiments were directed at all leaders in the country and were meant for both ruling and opposition political party leaders.

“Fr Chikoya’s thoughts were that leaders, (and NOT a leader) in Zambia had a problem of thinking that they own Zambia and that leadership in Zambia was considered as a right when in fact not. He never at any point singled out the Head of State as in ‘especially the one leading this country’ as this was a pure misrepresentation of facts on the part of the tabloid’s news desk The call by Fr Chikoya was directed at all leaders and those aspiring positions of leadership especially at national level to be good stewards of good and accountable governance for the development of the nation,” said Mazakaza.

Mazakaza says it is  unfortunate that the tabloid decided to take interest in the news article and in the process ended up writing things that the CCZ General Secretary did not say.

“In-as-much-as the CCZ cherishes the cordial relationship it has with the media, we wish to implore all media houses to be accurate and professional in the execution of their duties. As a representative of the church, Fr Chikoya has always embraced all leaders both in the ruling and opposition political parties hence it would not be proper for him to take sides as in the manner the tabloid chose to report about him,” said Mazakaza.

In view of the above clarification, Mazakaza says the CCZ will appreciate if the tabloid would consider retracting and correcting the sensational words it added in the news article.