By SAM PHIRI –
GOVERNMENT says it is waging a serious war against spiritual practices that compromise the county’s standing as a Christian Nation.
Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili said her Ministry was working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure fake prophets who perform  magic but announce it as  ‘miracles’ were flashed out or made to repent.
Reverend Sumaili said she was also working with traditional leaders to make sure they preserved the country’s rich cultures that project Christianity instead of  promoting practices such as idolatry and ancestral worship that were unbiblical.
“We are in a cleansing process; practices such as idolatry or ancestral worship will automatically fall off for us to remain with our clean and rich cultural values that extol God,” Rev Sumaili said.
She said some unbiblical traditional practices like sexual cleansing which were once common and perceived normal among some tribes have almost been phased out.
Meanwhile, Rev Sumaili has commended the Ministry of Home Affaires through the Immigration department for effecting deportation on self-styled Nigerian ‘prophet’ Andrew Ejimadu whose practices were seen to be a danger to the country.
She said the Nigerian was not the only target of those to face deportation or deregistration but that there were many other fake prophets including Zambians who were deceiving people with black magic under the pretext of performing miracles.
“We cannot allow lawlessness in the name of the church to continue, I am calling on all those with questionable practices hiding in the name of the church to come to reality and repent before the arm of the law visits them,” she said.
The minister also sent a special Easter Sunday message to Zambians stating that the day was cardinal as it represented the resurrection of Christ.
She said this was the time for Zambians to bury past mistakes that brought divisions and embrace the new life of love, peace and unity.
Rev Sumaili said it was important for Zambians to continue respecting the laws of the land and those in authority if the country had to continue enjoying the peace it had enjoyed  for decades.