Minister of Religious Affairs Reverend Godfridah Sumaili says Jesus Christ, the Son of God is in the Patriotic Front boat and not with the opposition parties. This is the most accurate statement we have ever heard from Honourable Rev Sumaili since she was appointed into her position. We cannot agree more; indeed there is no other political party that desperately needs Jesus than the ruling Patriotic Front. So, hallelujah! The Savior is in the right place!

We have seen many Christians react angrily to the minister for making such a statement. But they are wrong and the minister is right. You see fellow Christians, Jesus did not condone sin, but he never condemned sinners neither. In fact, the gospel teaches us that Jesus was a close friend of sinners – tax collectors, liars, thieves and murderers too.

In the gospel of Luke 15, when Jesus was confronted with the question of mixing with sinners, he told the parable of a farmer who went to look for one sheep that went astray. He added saying, and we quote in verse 7: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”

This does not mean that the opposition parties in Zambia are without sin, but if Rev Sumaili is seeing Jesus in the PF boat, then we are sure that he is there to persuade thieves to repent. He is there to engage liars and get them to change their ways. He wants tax collectors to give back to the people of Zambia what they are stealing from them.

If Rev Sumaili is seeing with her spiritual eyes that Jesus is in the PF boat, then we are sure that He would like to also have a word with bought Christians in that boat like Kings Malembe Malembe. When this heavenly talented singer entered the gospel industry with his music, he said he would never sing for a President, but the Kings of Kings above. He mocked people who went to the airport lining up to sing for the arriving Head of State.

“Bambi bembila, bakateka. Bambi bembila, ishamfumu shabo. Nabaya ku airport baleimba. Nomba ukwimba kwesu twimbila umwaume pabaume Yesu from the government of Heaven where there is no corruption.”

This is what Kings Malembe Malembe was preaching through his music in those YouTube videos where you can hardly recognize him because he used to be thin then.

But today Kings Malembe Malembe is not only going to the Airport, he is travelling VVIP with the President campaigning for the PF government that is full of corruption. He is composing tailor made songs like “aka Donkey” for the listening pleasure of President Edgar Lungu, and earning several times more money than what he used to get from gospel concerts.

If Rev Sumaili tells us that Jesus is in the boat, we must praise God and pray that He gets back such lost sheep. We must pray that He imparts the spirit of sympathy among those that are governing this country so that they can soon realize that while they are getting fat in that boat, Zambians outside are drowning in hunger.

Once again, we agree with Rev Sumaili that Jesus must be in the PF boat. What we have a problem with is the minister saying a vote for Putu, (the Mangango PF candidate) was a for Jesus. There, we believe the minister felt a lump on her throat as she made that blasphemous declaration. We are sure that she went straight into confession after that rally. If she didn’t, we urge her to do so in order to make peace with her conscience.

And while we are at it, we might as well advise the minister to stay away from campaigns. Her ministerial position is not like any other, at least if it can’t be abolished, let it be accorded the sanctity it deserves. There are a lot of awful things that happen during campaigns, and her efforts to mix light with darkness will not go without such embarrassing consequences.

Rev Sumaili must not feel pressured to campaign in order to please President Edgar Lungu. To start with, she is a nominated member of parliament; and our understanding of this provision is that it allows the Head of State to appoint into his Cabinet specific technocrats or experts who may not be political in nature but have a special skill-set that may be lacking among the elected MPs.

It is very rare that such Cabinet ministers will be expected to be prolific in campaigning for the ruling party. Theirs is administrative governance and making sure that they implement policy and advance the vision of the President who gave them the ministerial mandate. Surely, no one would complain if such a minister doesn’t take an active role in party campaigns.

In case Rev Sumaili is doubting our analysis, let her look back at the late minister of health Dr Joseph Kasonde. He never used to campaign, but he was one of the most effective and valued Cabinet ministers. Former justice minister Dr Ngosa Simbyakula did not have his strength in campaigning, but he was a PF think-tank. Even though some of our mothers were probably not yet born when shikulu Alexander Chikwanda joined Dr Kaunda’s government, we don’t believe that campaigning was his thing. But he served almost every other subsequent regime because he was good with his arithmetic.

So you see Rev Sumaili, don’t feel pressured to do what Jean Kapata and Mumbi Phiri can do for the PF. Those are gifted noisemakers, and in many cases, they get motivation to talk from catalyst substances that a reverend shouldn’t swallow.