Livingstonia Synod defiant over Inkosi threats: ‘We don’t worship culture; beer, polygamy is a sin’

General secretary of the Livingstonia Synod has given a defiant tone over Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa V threats to evict the church if it continues preaching against beer and polygamy which the chief said is an integral part of the ngoni culture.

In an interview, Reverend Levi Nyondo said the church is not moved even by an inch over the threats issued by the powerful ngoni chief during the iinstallation of a traditional leader in Mzimba on Tuesday.

“Beer drinking and polygamy is a sin. We cannot condone sin. We don’t worship culture, we worship God, we will never change our stand on these issues,” said Nyondo.

He dismissed as untrue that there is a standing memorandum of understanding between the church and the Ngoni chiefs that they should be allowed to drink beer and marry as many wives as they wish.

“That MOU don’t exist, if it exists then it is fake,” he said.

He said the Ngoni chief can go ahead to sign another MOU with another church, saying the Livingstonia Synod stand on beer and polygamy remains the same, it is sin.

Nyondo said it is the duty of the church to tell people what is sin and what is righteousness so that they do not perish in hell on the last day.

The cleric angered the Ngoni chiefs during the installation of chief Mzukuzuku of Mzimba when the clergy openly told the chiefs to start going to church and repent their sins and stop people from drinking beer and marrying many wives.

Nyondo said those who do not go to church bother the men of God when they die.

Mordecai Jere was installed Chief Mzukuzuku by Local government minister Kondwani Nankhumwa after the area had almost 10 years within a chief due to chieftaincy wrangles.

Nankhumwa asked the royal family to always use the path of contact and dialogue when dealing with chieftaincy wrangles and asked the newly installed chief to desist from corrupt tendencies.