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
Lets not take politics as sinful. Its only if its driven by devilish forces .everybody behaves crooked but its possible to be church head by God and be truthful as other countries elsewhere in the world
May you be blessed with wisdom.
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 are so daft as not to see the evil in the pastoral letter?
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
The writers should have put more effort in writing the letter instead of plagiarizing a whole paragraph from the MCP manifesto. Otherwise there’s nothing special about the document, the usual platitudes.
Go and Read the 29 April 2018 Catholic Bishops’s ECM Letter. It has the same issues……
Zapweteka eti???
KKKKKKKKKKK
WELL DONE AZIBUSA. THATS KUKHALA.
Nanuso a nkhoma synod mwazolowera kukangana ndi a zanu a livingstonia synod mungaliwuze chani ziko la Malawi. Mumalo moti mumulangize mubusa zanu Chakwela kuti apitilize ntchito yolalikila uthenga wa chiuta chifukwa pakali pano atnchito ndiochepa. Munthu analumbila kuti adyesa nkhosa za Mulungu
Has this Church become the campaign tool for party of darkness? True leader to transform Malawi would be Chilima, period.
shupiti
Iwenso shupiti zako ndi azibusa ako onyengawo. Kumwamba anakutaya chifukwa chadhyera.
Ask the Catholic Bishops who wrote theres on 29 April 2018.
This Chakwera man is guided by the Holy spirit.
He took into account the issues which the churches have been raising.
Tili ndi mwayi a Malawi
Ankhoma synod sanalakwitse ampingo awonapo china chake
MULUNGU WALANKHULATU KUTI TAMBALA NDAMENE AKUWINA PA 21 MAY PANO MUNTHU ALIYENSE AMAKHALA NDI ZOFOOKA PALIBE NGELO PANO KOMA MUZOFOOKAZO MULUNGU WASANKHA TAMBALA WAKUDA KUYAMBA KULAMULIRA DZIKO LINO ZIKOMO
I am at pains to agree with Nkhoma synod because of the following 1- tell me how many people are in MCP NEC from Llomwe belt 2- Chakwera is not a man of his words as he changes willy nilly. 3- the team surrounding him does not inspire confidence. I thank Nkhoma synod for their insight but it is of little impact people have already made their decision. Malawians want some one who can ably lead the nation not a church. Churches have their own ways of electing a leader and let the electorate do their job without interference.
Join the discussion…very true my brother sato,chakwera should feel ashamed for alaigning himself with the cashgate Queen and claiming to be clean at the sametime,Let the church stay quiet and not mislead people,Enawo anagwa kale mmanja mwa chauta,they will never win an election like JZU
Keep snoring
Mu mpingo mumakhala anthu azipani zosiyanasiyana and it is very wrong to talk politics in the church, because some members in your church belongs to MCP, others UTM, DPP, UDF and so on. It is good to preach the word of God, talking about politics the Holy spirit will guide the people on the day of voting. Mmalo mokamva mau amulungu some poeple who belong to other parties than your party amakhala ophinjika while in the Church of God.
A lot of people think abusa is only there to preach Jesus is coming soon. The bible says in Romans that ‘How will they know if they have not heard’. Also James 2:16 says if one of you say to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
So from this verse we see that the abusa are in a position to guide sheep in all aspects of life because munthu ophinjika physically can not serve God properly. I tell you a lot of sheep are led by feelings and not the holy spirit so saying that the holy spirit will guide them during voting is very wrong. For how will they know who to vote for if they have not heard?
So what I am saying is just because there are people with various political affiliations does not take away the pastors duty to tell the sheep the truth and only the truth without fear so that people make informed decisions.
But the Abusa have hidden the truth regarding cash gate and jet gate, because the culprits are dining and wining with their preferred party and candidate, MCP and Chakwera. Is that the way pastors should behave?
So what i am saying is even though we have sheep with various political affiliations in one church, the pastors have a duty to tell the sheep the truth and only the truth, without fear or whatsoever, so that the sheep will make an informed decision.
But the problem is …how do we know that abusa is telling us the truth? poti nawonso ndi munthu who has his/her own political preferences after all taonanso kuti azibusanso are being used mu campaign these days.
Catholic Bishops started it on 29th April 2018. and Chilima anawerenga nawo Kalata imeneyi mu Tchalitchi.
Apa ndaona kuti Chakwera Simunthu wamba. Zomwe a Katolika anakamba mu 2018, iye ali nazo ngati muthu, komanso mu manifesto yake.
Ma qualities omwe aperekanso a CCAP, Chakwera ali nawo.
Munthu ambuye anakonza uyu.
What the Nkhoma synod petition is missing is the Jet gate which Joyce Banda is involved but because she is now with Chakwera the deliberately missed it in the petition.
1 – What you should know is Nkhoma Synod is for the Chewa’s so is Chakwera, endorsing him is obvious
2 – The petition mentions about regionalism but what they are forgetting is it is MCP which started all this by repatriating all civil servants to their region of origin
3 – On Nepotism, it is again MCP which started the Quarter system selection of students into Malawi universities and colleges
4 – On the killings, it is alleged that MCP killed a lot of innocent people in its tenure more than any other party to date
aNkhoma synod za ma pastoral letazi zisiyeni si mbali yanu, inu zanu ndi za tcheni pa kalanka basi
Which one of those who started quota, nepotism and were killing Malawians are still there in MCP today? So what you are saying is even if we have visionary leaders in MCP we can not vote for them because they were practicing quota, nepotism, killing etc more than 25 years ago. When in 10 years time there is reform in DPP and they bring in new blood of visionaries and good leaders we can not vote them in because they were once thieves who stole votes and money from the government purse? My Gosh, with this mentality I see us dropping further to being the 2nd poorest country in the world.
JZU, Cecilia Kadzamira, Mmanjamkhosi are still in MCP. They have never moved to any other party.
Tcheni pa kalanka …..kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
NKhoma ikukanika kuyendetsa university chifukwa chakuba,ma department ambiri anatsekedwa chifuka chakuba, akufuna anamize ndani
Am a diehard CCAP member wa Nkhoma Synod and a Chewa origninally from Ntchisi but I cannot vote for Chakwera because I know Chilima is the president the country needs
Zimene zikuchitika m’dziko muno sizabwino . Dzikoli likuyendetsedwa mwa chibwana ndipo dzikoli lawonongeka m,chifukwa azibusa ofunila dziko lawo zabwino akwiya!! ngati momwe Yesu anakwiyila atapeza anthu akupanga malonda m’kachisi
Whether one likes it or not the only candidate here without trace of theft is Chakwera and is fighting genuinely, Chilima and team are complete liars, when Chakwera was calling Peter Muthalika PRINCE OF THIEVES where was he? when Chakwera called APM pathological liar, where was he? He was busy stealing the money for his campaign. A Malawi let us be very careful Chilima, his team and DPP are the same thieves we are talking about. You can not jump out from the boat of thieves where for 5 years you are partaken in the activities and start claiming you are innocent.
I feel very sorry to Chilima also pathological liar standing castigating DPP and yet he is still there in a government being management by him and his boss APM.
Chakwera is the change Malawian of good will need. Chilima and His boss onse fokofu.
Be honest with yourself. JB, Khumbo and PP are all cashagaters. The DPP govt cant arrest them simply because the govt knows that JB also has information on their theft. So, Thieve (DPP) cabn not arrest theive (JB). Chakwera approved Mwk4 billion kwacha in parliament that was meant to be stolen. So, tell me if MCP is clean.
Keep on being cheated but only until 21 May then you will know he truth
Okudya zake alibe mulandu koma okudya nawo zakuba ndi m’busa omvetsa chisoni. Akuti agumule Kamuzu stadium amangepo Joyce Banda hall yet Comess is one KM away mavuto athu simaholo
Tearing apart dpp mukhaula muona alhomwe achabe chabe inu akuba kupangitsa ngati the whole lhomwe tribe is rotten yet its you few thieves.
Nkhoma synod yanena chilungamo chokha chokha anthu a Mulungu azitere osapsatila / kubisa chilungamo.MULUNGU Akudalitseni azibusa inu ndithu
uku ndiye timati kubwera Chwakwera woyeeee ! Motooo kuti buuuu
Guys,
Chakwera is shielding Joyce Banda the main cashgater. The govt recently just wanted to arrest her and Chakwera was on forefront saying the govt was persecuting the former president.
Nkhoma Synod is not serious. What about Chakwera area 6 house.
MCP is now full of people whose party was involved in cashgate: Sostorn, Mia, Harry Mkandawire, Khumbo Kachali, Matola, Roy Kachale, Ken Zikhale, Kukunyu, Goti Hara.
Nkhoma always fails to call a spade a spade. Watch out Malawians with Nkhoma. In fact Nkhoma did not support multiparty politics in the country.
Every one has their side. If others come with their letters which will be perceived as siding with someone we do not like the same stories will emerge. We all know there are cashgaters all over and these three main parties have their fair share of cashgaters the head being DPP seconded by UTM (DPP Team B). As a people, we have to pray and ask for God’s guidance on a good leader who will take this country a step further. We people can only see a stone throw distance but God who searches human hearts knows what is in all these who want the presidency.
Why do they think Chakwera is a good leader when he is dinning and wining with Cashgate mother JB. Why they ignored Jetget? Am CCAP but I will vote for SKC . Chakwera is just too slow and visionless, he changes decisions anyhow . Example is on the 4 billion kwacha issue
church politics at a wrong time
Chakwera and MCP no chance! Maybe head wa Nkhoma synod sholud stand in 2024. This year is for Chilima. Mutharika, Ben Phiri, Norman Chisale, Mwanamvekha ndi George Malemia aba kwambiri!!!!!!!
Nkhoma Synod is one of the few remaining credible and relevant institutions that guides and promotes good values and justice through the word of God! Enawa are happily and very comfortably hypocritical, pointing out wrongs as it suits them!
Nkhoma Synod has just done what you are saying. They have crookedly avoided talking about jet gate and cash gate because the culprits are supporting their preferred candidate. That’s the hypocrisy that Nkhoma Synod has just demonstrated. They are misleading Church members for their own interests.
They want its followers to vote for an upright person when they themselves are not upright. Actually they should be described as crooks. They have hidden important information from the followers. They don’t want their followers to know that Chakwera is wining and dining with the greatest thieves of the nation.