BISHOP Paul Bupe says Zambia has been sold into modern slavery through borrowing.

Commenting on government’s move to increase the debt ceiling to K60 billion from K35 billion, Bishop Bupe of the Redeemed Methodist Church said the government had sold Zambians into modern-day slavery through huge borrowing and that it was irresponsible of PF members of parliament to have voted for such a motion.

“MPs were supposed to represent people on the ground and not their own interests. And if they are not representing their people’s opinions, then they are being unfair, not only to the people who sent them to Parliament but also to the nation at large. It was irresponsible for PF MPs to have voted for such a motion [to increase the debt ceiling to K60 billion],” he said. “Government should deal with the slave mindset. The Bible says ‘He who borrows, is a slave to the lender. Now, if they are telling us that they have the capacity to pay back, that doesn’t tell us to start borrowing. So, we are disappointed by their tendency to carry the whole nation into slavery. It’s biblical; we have to be responsible as a nation, and we cannot just borrow because we have the capacity to pay.”

Bishop Bupe urged the government to work on the slave mindset so that the nation could have power in administering its affairs, unlike being slaves to the lenders. 

“So, the government in power must deal with the slave mindset. We are not going to allow them to sell us, we have already been sold to the Western world; we are not ourselves anymore. So we need a government which will liberate us. We have been in 50 years of colonialism and we want a government that will come and take us out of modern slavery of borrowing,” said Bishop Bupe.

“So, PF MPs have exhibited high levels of irresponsibility by increasing the debt ceiling and they have sold us into modern slavery.”

Source: The Post