HH complicit in attacks on Catholics, says Kalaba
By Mast Reporter
THE UPND’s growing hostility towards the Catholic Church risks plunging the country into dangerous religious conflict, Citizens First (CF) president Harry Kalaba has warned.
Kalaba was reacting to remarks attributed to Bweengwa Member of Parliament Michelo Kasautu, who allegedly labeled Catholic priests as “criminals” in Parliament on Friday, which he condemned.
“Calling Catholic priests criminals – after previously branding their leader, Archbishop Dr Alick Banda, as ‘Lucifer’ – makes no logical sense. Such words can only come from someone under the influence of an illegal substance,” Kalaba said.
He questioned why someone would insult Catholic priests when they provided healthcare and education in areas which even government failed to reach.
“This is nothing but sheer madness and arrogance on steroids,” Kalaba said.
“Insulting the Church is becoming endemic in UPND.”
Kalaba also criticised President Hakainde Hichilema for failing to restrain his MPs from making disrespectful and hateful remarks against the Church.
“HH is complicit in these escalating attacks. If he truly disapproved, he would have shut this conversation down,” Kalaba said.
He accused Hichilema of enjoying the Catholic baiting and bashing.
“In his warped view, anyone who disagrees with him is an enemy. He sees himself as a king, but let me remind him, Zambia is a nation-state, not his kingdom, and he is not King HH, just a president.”
Despite the public outrage, the UPND has never apologized for its Secretary-General Batuke Imenda’s hateful remarks last year, when he called Archbishop Banda ‘Lucifer reincarnate.’
With only 14 months left before the presidential elections, Kalaba warned that fighting the Catholic Church the largest religious group in Zambia would backfire on the UPND.
Kasautu’s comments sparked outrage among opposition MPs, who believe the UPND’s hatred for Catholic clergy and the Church has reached alarming levels.
