By JAMES KUNDA and
STEVEN ZANDE –
VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has reiterated Government’s call for youths countrywide to disengage from political violence as Zambia prepares for the general elections.
Ms Wina said it was sad that young people had continued indulging in violent activities despite the country’s foundation on virtues of Christianity.
She was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when she graced a Youth Sunday Service at the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Chelstone Congregation.
“It is critical for the Church to teach our children moral values that will make our young people impact positively on society.
“Our young people should be groomed into responsible citizens as failure to do so will pose a threat to peace and stability in the country,” Ms Wina said.
The Vice-President, who donated K2,000 to the youth in the congregation, commended UCZ for grooming young people through groupings such as the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade.
Ms Wina said following President Edgar Lungu’s declaration of October 18 as a national day of prayer and fasting, the Church should persistently execute its role of championing peace in the country ahead of the polls.
“It is important that the Church continues to preach peace and denounce all forms of violence because our country should maintain peace at all times,” she said.
UCZ Chelstone Congregation youth convener Crosby Mwelwa implored his fellow young people to obey the tenets of Christianity at all times.
Mr Mwelwa said young people should keenly obey their parents and God to adopt behaviour that would enable them contribute to national peace.
Meanwhile, the Citizen Coalition-Zambia has urged Zambians to interrogate aspiring candidates in the forthcoming general elections to avoid voting for politicians whose sole interest is self-enrichment.
Coalition president Gregory Chifire said the organisation was concerned that opposition political parties in particular had so far failed to spell out their party ideologies and how they would solve the current economic challenges that the country was experiencing.
Mr Chifire said in a statement yesterday that voting for leaders whose motives were not clearly known could only lead to a reversal of the economic gains that the country had far recorded.
“We, therefore, urge Zambians to be wary of voting for politicians that do not have the interests of the people at heart, but only identify themselves with the causes that have direct benefit to themselves and their families.
“If such politicians were to take over Government, they would take this country back to the land of misery and pain because they do not represent the interests of the majority poor, but foreign companies that have been heavily funding their campaigns to take over Government on August 11, 2016,” Mr Chifire said.