Congregation welcomes CCAP pastoral letter urging faithful to vote for an upright president ‘not one who shields thieves and mafias’

Nkhoma Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) congregation has warmly welcomed the church’s pastoral letter, saying it reflects the myriad of problems Malawians are facing under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The Pastoral Letter. which was read out on Sunday morning in all the synod’s its churches, mostly based in the Central Region, faulted the Peter Mutharika administration for the deterioration of governance in the country.

Titled ‘An Opportunity to Choose a Leader with Good Reputation, Full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom,’ focused on the forthcoming May 21 tripartite general elections as it also commented on some socio-political challenges Malawians are facing.

The pastoral letter says tribalism, nepotism and regionalism is still rampant as recruitment of employees and award of contracts in the public institutions is based on tribe, ethnicity and personal relationship with the ruling elite notwithstanding their qualifications and competences.

The synod gave a nine-point guide on the qualities of the leader to vote for, saying such a leader, among other things, must respect the Constitution and should have no record of corruption, needs to unify Malawians and must not protect thieves, mafias and looters of public resources.

The guide added that such a leader should also not promote abortion and same sex marriages and must make his stand known on these issues.

“We, the clergy of CCAP Nkhoma Synod, encourage all voters to vote into power the one and only leader who has the above-listed leadership qualities as the President of the Republic of Malawi. The man with (a) good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3),” the letter concluded.

Martin Kasisi Banda from Mvama CCAP in Area 49 said the Mutharika administration favours the lhomwes than any tribe in the country,” said.

Mrs Elube Mwale from Masintha CCAP in Kawale said congregants literally clapped hands after the pastoral letter was issued in the church during the morning church service.

“Faces of the congregants lit up, there was jubilation in the church. Those who authored the pastoral letter were guided by the Holy Spirit,” said Mrs. Mwale. “To prove this, just go and do the head count of the top and middle civil servants. The civil service is dominated by the Lhomwes,” said Elliot Kachinziri.

In social media, the pastoral letter stirred debate and discussions.

Some Malawians were of the view that it is high time Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera took over power because of his corrupt free record.

They said Chakwera is the only hope for Malawi and has shown maturity in his leadership since he took over the mantle from John Tembo to run the MCP.

Nyasa Times talked to at least 50 CCAP faithful from various CCAP churches in Lilongwe soon after the pastoral letter was read in the morning.

The pastoral letter took a swipe at vice president Saulos Chilima and UDF president Atupele Muluzi for allegedly using public resources for campaign.

“Ironically they feel they can do a better job than the incumbent, yet they are part of the system and using state resources to campaign without conscious,” says the pastoral letter.

The pastoral letter says the current leaders in government are serving their own personal interests or interests of their cronies other than of Malawians.

The hard hitting pastoral letter also says the clergy are greatly saddened that corruption has persistently continued, despite numerous calls from the faith based, civil society organisations and the opposition political parties to arrest the vice.

“It is being institutionalized at all levels in all ministries, departments and agencies without the leadership demonstration of political will in action. The numerous unresolved corruption cases attest to this fact,” says the pastoral letter.

The pastoral letter cites the food ration gate; the K145 million scandal which shamefully involved President Peter Mutharika, Pioneer Investment and the police as an example of endemic corruption.

The pastoral letter also gives as examples of endemic corruption in the K37 billion tractor gate, Escom’s K 3.7 billion fuel gate, the maize gate, the OPC K29 billion gate in which the suspicious money was released from OPC to Green Belt Trust.

The pastoral letter also cites the K4.4 billion allowance and fuel gate in which K4.4 billion in allowances on trips which officials never undertook and fuel which was never bought as examples of the corruption.

Others include the K53 billion Escom gate, the Immigration uniform gate where one shirt is bought at K700, 000, genset gate, K444 million Foreign Affairs gate.

“All these under the watchful eyes of the current administration and its machinery,” says the pastioral letter.

The pastoral letter says it is immoral, unthinkable and unreasonable for any sane person to believe that things are normal when Malawians are languishing with poverty.

The Church urged the faithfuls to pray fervently for the elections to be peaceful and credible.

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