Believers protest abortion, same sex relations
The clergy yesterday led their faithful in nationwide peaceful demonstrations to protest against the proposed Termination of Pregnancy Bill and same sex marriages in the country.
The marches took place concurrently in Blantyre, Zomba, Mangochi, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
During the marches, the demonstrators presented petitions to government through city and town councils as well as Parliament in the case of Lilongwe.
In Mzuzu, CCAP Synod of Livingstonia moderator-elect the Reverend Douglas Chipofya, Mzuzu Catholic Diocese vicar general Andrew Chunda and Anglican Bishop for the Northern Malawi Diocese Fanuel Magangani led the faithful that braved a downpour to present the petition to Mzuzu City Council through director of administration Victor Masina.
Chunda said abortion and same sex marriages are ungodly acts that should not be condoned.
In Mangochi, Bishop Montfort Sitima of Mangochi Diocese said it was a grave sin for Christians to succumb to pressure to allow people to abort, saying no-one has a right to terminate a life which God Himself created it as something important.
He said: “Abortion is sin because it is a deliberate killing and human beings should endeavour to safeguard a life.”
In Blantyre, hundreds of people from different denominations and faith groups took time off their busy schedules to participate in the anti-abortion demonstrations dubbed Citizens’ March for Life and Family. Many of the marchers donned branded T-shirts and carried placards denouncing abortion and same sex marriages.
The marchers included Bishop George Tambala of Zomba Catholic Diocese, Pastor Mapunda Ngwira of Word Alive Ministries and Sheikh Jafali Kawinga of Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM). They presented their petition to government through Blantyre City Council chief executive officer Alfred Chanza.
In Lilongwe, the marchers were led by general secretary of Nkhoma CCAP Synod the Reverend Vasco Kachipapa, EAM deputy secretary general Reverend Grey Mwalabu, Pastor Matilda Matabwa of the Malawi Assemblies of God and Bishop Brighton Malasa of the Upper Shire Diocese of the Anglican Church.
The demonstrations come against a background of some civil society organisations lobbying for the enactment or passing of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill among religious leaders, chiefs and politicians.
Reporting by Fatsani Gunya, Chikondi Moyo and George Singini (Staff Reporters) and Ayamba Kandodo (Correspondent).
