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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Didn’t think Nkhoma Synod could hit government so hard below the belt. Let’s now wait for those of Livingstonia and BT synods although I am not sure about the latter.
This Pastoral Letter has stirred a lot of controversy. It is alleged that MCP authored it. If this is true then it is unfortunate. The timing too appears to be problematic. And let us not forget that within the Nkhoma Synod there are some die-hard followers of each of the main political parties. The biggest question to be asked is: what value is this Pastoral Letter meant to add to our current political landscape? In my view, sometimes it is better to keep quiet!
Very sad & then Blantyre Synod & Livingstonia Synod will they follow suit????? Men of God of today, Politicians in robes or Collars.
their should set their house in order first then set for others,mmm kukonza kapansi!
God searches the hearts of men.
We as people have our own choice but knows who is to our next president,You can’t qualify who is to voted in or out because searches the heart of men and the one who will at God’s heart will carry the day May 21,I would like to ask the faithful ones to take time of prayer for the whole of elections.Only the name of Jesus is clean.
1. When God speaks its only the wisemen who hears and understand. We need to pray for the wisdom if you want to understand what God is about to say. Sometimes our heart wishes closes our head to hear from the language God is taking. Intelligent is nothing in Gods language thats why he uses the wisemen to caution the intelligent. Read, think, scrutine and judge wisdomly 2 Jesus is the head of the church, church is a group of people. be it in that building or elsewhere including the counrty at large as long as Jesus is the head… Read more »
I don’t know if the letter mentioned the name Chakwera, but if it didn’t, then your guess is good. It’s like the letter is talking about a certain qualifications which totally different which we all know,,, Spirit Filled Leader,,, this qualifications is more than any qualification, so the question to all those who has dropped their comments, is it Chakwera who has this qualification? You guess is good as mine.
Godo bless Malawi
Pastoral letter summary:
VOTE MCP period
By not talking about cash gate and jet gate, the Nkhoma CCAP Synod has exposed its partisan approach to the general elections. Malawians know that the cashgaters and jetgaters (PP) are in an electoral alliance with MCP. The Church has crookedly avoided mentioning cash and jet gates in order to fool Malawians that MCP is clean. Malawians are dismayed that the Church itself is so corrupt that it chooses to hide the truth from its congregation in order to protect its interests in the elections. The reputation of the Church has been eroded. Did the Church leaders think their members… Read more »
The Pastoral Letter is referring to Corruption and theft cases taking place in the current regime which comprises of Peter Mutharika, Saulos Chilima and Atupele Muluzi.. This is what we are getting rid off.
2014 to 2019…Phwaaaaaa
The gates during Joice Banda’s reign were already condemned. Mind you Mr Phiri there are people who are facing the long arm of the law because of Cashgate. Out of the many gates in this regime, who has been arrested? Ndipo kuba kopanda nako ndimanyazi komwe. Basi wina in his right mind kumayikira kumbuyo? Are you a benefactor? Shame!!
DPP should procesute those of cashgate
The issue of JB being involved in cashgate started along way back if she is a thief why not the government show up against her? this means the government too is weak and has been weak therefore i will vote none other than Chakwera come 21 May
Stop your fake insinuations here. DPP could have already arrested JB if your claims had substantive evidence