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Father Frank Bwalya has been roundly condemned for announcing that he will support gay movements once voted as Republican President in 2016.
The Priest-cum politician announced during a press conference in South Africa that he will not arrest anyone engaging in same-sex practices, which is barred by law in Zambia.
Youth and Sports Minister, Chishimba Kambwili said in an interview yesterday that Fr Bwalya had lost direction and wanted to use his pro-gay stance to raise funds for his political ambitions.
Kambwili said Fr. Bwalya should realise that he was losing forecast by engaging himself in immoral pronouncement and assured him that Zambians would not back his political ambitions.
“I told Zambians that there is something wrong with Fr. Bwalya and here it is. We had information that he is being backed by gay rights groups to champion their rights in Zambia. It has come out in the open. How can a person carrying the title Father, say such a thing? I plead with you Frank, don’t be misled, go back to the Church and seek deliverance, otherwise, his is losing and in fact he has lost direction,” Kambwili said.
He said Fr Bwalya should not be misled into thinking that he could support gay rights as a conduit to gain financial support, because Zambians would not support him.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) general secretary Winstone Chibwe condemned Fr Bwalya’s sentiments saying the opposition party felt the clergyman had lost his direction.
“As UPND, we don’t support such a stance. If these are his views, the UPND does not support such,” Chibwe said.
The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) also said it would stand by Government stance not to support anyone promoting gay rights in the country.
ZEC executive director Pukuta Mwanza said it was disappointing for a person who believed in God and claimed to follow Bible teachings to turn his back on the Church and encourage same-sex marriages.
Reverend Mwanza said Zambia was built on a strong moral and Christian foundation and would not change this for the sake of accommodating gay rights.
“He Fr Bwalya is being used by western groups, who have promised to fund his political career but this is wrong and we will not accept this. We are, as a church extremely disappointed and we will stand by Government and other stakeholders that do not condone such pronouncements,” he said.
The Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) board chairperson David Masupa also shared his disappointment over Fr Bwalya’s statement saying he taken aback because Fr Bwalya who took an active participation in the formulation of the Republican Constitution did not come out in the open to back such a stance.
“I am very surprised that he can go and say such a thing out there in South Africa and not here, because he knows that he will be condemned and we still condemn him,” Bishop Masupa said.
The issue of homosexuality is one that will unfortunately not go away. Whether we as zambians like it or not, it exists and is being promoted quietly by many, by both locals and foreigners. Whilst I full agree that is it is taboo and unchristian, the country has to seriously come to terms with a vice that will not go away just by providing harsh penalties. And unfortunately, many of our donor partners see our stance as being a reason to label us as homophobic and denying persons their rights. One important aspect is the reality of what goes on in our prisons, where homosexuality is rampant and inmates are either coerced or willingly made into female partners. The overcrowding in cells makes body contact worse and I am sure if one was to check prison health centre records, one would see high leels of STIs and ailments associted with it. There are rumours that Fr Bwalya, now distanced from his original Priestly role, is sponsored by pro gay rights proponents. The onus on society is to see how lifestyle choices canbe improved to ensure that this vice is not encouraged, ad to find out if those who find themselves in this situation due to poverty as has been alleged as one cause, can find a better means of living. It will be intersting to see how this matter evolves and how we "contain" it, but judging from what we hear and see, it is a vice that is here to stay.