Bishop Bvumbwe vows to register new forum despite Malawi clergy snub
Interim chairperson of a the newly-formed Interfaith Forum for Peace, Justice and Dialogue evangelical Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe will get the body registered despite embarrassing withdrawals from some clergy.
Bvumbwe, who is also board chairman for Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Meray, said the membership was for individual church leaders not institutional church-based.
“I have not seen the letters of the withdrawals but we will go ahead to register the Forum,” said Bvumbwe.
Three influential clerics; Apostle Stanley Ndovie, the president of Living Waters Church, Seventh Day Adventist president Frackson Kuyama and Malawi Assemblies of God president Edward Chitsonga have withdrawn from the Forum.
But Bvumbwe dismissed assertions that the Forum has been established to counter the Public Affairs Committee (PAC), saying the group was formed to complement existing efforts by other organisations in peace and dialogue and that it will work with objectivity to serve interests of Malawians.
“The Forum has not been established as a vote of confidence in PAC but we think PAC can do better,” said the quasi-religious body former chairperson.
Political analyst Mustafa Hussein said the withdrawals by some of the clergy from the Forum is a sign of lack of credibility of the Forum.
Besides Bvumbwe, the group also comprises the Reverend Timothy Nyasulu as vice-chairperson and Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire Bishop Brighton Vita Malawi as secretary.
Political and governance commentators have described the outfit as comprising “mercenaries of government”; hence, casting doubt on their objectivity in serving the best interests of Malawians at large.
Bvumbwe said the fact that some of the members of the group sit on boards of different parastatals and were appointed by President Peter Mutharika does not mean they will be biased towards government.
He said they can still advise objectively and support government where it needs to be supported or admonish where it is needed.
Bvumbwe said the post-May 21 Tripartite Elections events compelled the formation of the grouping.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) vice-chairperson Gift Trapence said the formation of the Forum could be as a tactic by government to shrink civic space by forming institutions that are composed of their supporters, an assertion dismissed by Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani, who is also the official government spokesperson.
The forum also includes CCAP Blantyre Synod general secretary the Reverend Alex Maulana who is Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) board chairperson, Blantyre Synod moderator the Reverend Masauko Mbolembole who is Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) board chairperson, Apostle Madalitso Mbewe who once chaired Central Region Water Board (CRWB), the Reverend Howard Matiya Nkhoma who chaired Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) and Bishop Charles Tsukuluza who chaired Lilongwe Water Board (LWB). Malasa was board chairperson for National Herbarium and Botanical Gardens of Malawi.
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Whether the grouping registers or not, the fact still remains that the organization grossly lacks credibility and trust frim Malawians. As a country, we believe in PAC and nothing else.
These are the kind of religious leaders making people lose faith in churches. Very corrupt and gold diggers. No wonder his church is Zambezi and not Shire.
Bvumbwe , nkhope ngat Bvumbwe di, mbuzi ya munthu iwe, take off the collar you don’t deserve it. iwe ndi Madalitso Mbewe anthu adyera, pangani za ndale zo, za Mulungu zakukanikani. Ana a Dyabulosi hiding behind the pulpit!
Constitutional freedom at its best. Wena azibusa amaphemphelera ma demo othyola ndi kuotcha ma shop a wanthu. Wena adathawa pa pulpit kukalowa ndale.Wena amalemba ma pastoral letters ku chita influence ma members awo kuti akavotere munthu oopa mulungu. Wena ndi amenewa a Bvumbwe.Onsewo akufuna ine common citizen, sha!!
nganga iyi isiyeni elembetse kabungwe kakeko, azikakambirana zamtendere wa m’banja ndi mpingo wake.
Bvumbwe or Mphaka wamkulu, social inustice is a crime to humanity, please repent otherwise you are mentioned as one of the oppressors in Isaiah.
Abambo awa manyazi alibe eti? zoona kolala ili pakhosi choncho kumachita za chinyengo ndi DPP mwachoncho? kodi amalalikira mpingo wake uti? mwaonatu a khristu a Luthren zomwe achita abusa anu
Mumuwuze Bvumbweyo machende ake
Bvumbwe says he will go ahead to register this stupid organization. The reason is simple. He has already pocketed money from DPP and it’s hard kuti abweze. We don’t have any respect for you and your feloow greedy cadets. Many thanks should go to men of God, Kuyama, Edward Chitsonga and Stanly Ndobvi for gettting out of the cadets masquerading as peace loving clergy. It is not a secret that all those mentioned as founding members are pro DPP through and through and they are trying to protecting their personal interests.
It is justified or else you will be fired as a board chair. But I think this is not strange those who know this man will not be surprise. He has lived his life this way