Bishop Simon Chihana has urged President Edgar Lungu and opposition UPND president Hakainde Hichilema to show love and respect to each other.
During the first memorial church service of late president Michael Sata at Saint Ignatius on October 28, 2015 the presiding Priest asked President Lungu to shakehands with leaders of all political parties present in front of the audience.
Commenting on the handshake, by the two leaders of the two leading political parties in Zambia, Bishop Chihana said it was a good gesture.
Bishop Chihana
Bishop Chihana pastors Royal Nations Church and is president of Fellowship Christian Council of Zambia.
Below is Bishop Chihana’s statement to Zambian Eye:
It is a delightful moment and a moment of relief to see our major political players, the Presidents of two major political parties shake hands whether by arrangement or by coincidence, the soothing thing is that they have shaken hands and this is due to the memorial service of our late President Mr Michael Sata who passed on a year ago.
With the political unrest that seems to be in existence between the ruling Party PF and UPND, this can be considered a plus for both of them and we want to encourage them that it is the way to go for the good of our mother Zambia and its people.
The more our political leaders are able to show such gestures the better for their members and well wishers and sympathisers.
As a church body, we admonish both Mr Lungu and Mr Hakainde to strengthen the cords of love, fellowship and respect for each other.
Zambia not only known as a beacon of peace on earth but as a Christian nation also, let us therefore strive to demonstrate the virtues of love, unity and peace.
Let us embrace each other building on the foundations already built by our fathers on one Zambia one nation and one people.
We certainly congratulate our political leaders for such a memorable moment.