THE BISHOP Joe Imakando-led Bread of Life Church in Lusaka was filled to the brim as a colourful line up of gospel musicians led congregants to pray, sing and dance their way into 2024 and all was going well until husky-voiced singer Kings Malembe Malembe spoiled the fun when he took stage.
Apparently, Malembe Malembe had been banished from the massive Worship Centre and blacklisted from ever performing there after he ignored Bishop Imakando’s guidance of only singing for One in Heaven.
Against Bishop Imakando’s advice, at the height of the PF government in power, Malembe Malembe and a gang of several other pentecostal leaders opted to ignore the violence of PF thugs and breakdown of the rule of law, and instead appointed themselves PF Regime Insiders lending their vocal chords to singing for ‘chipani’.
The singer and group claimed that God had informed them that former president Edgar Lungu’ was the divine appointed ruler of Zambia and should be given a third term.
However, after Lungu’s loss, Malembe Malembe came back to his senses and apologised saying he had learnt a lesson and vowed that this time around, he shall belch his rhumba-influenced tunes for the one above only.
And so it was yesterday that Malembe Malembe joined the rich list of musicians to lead Bread of Life members into the new year.
But commotion broke out as soon as Malembe stepped at the stage with members abandoning their sing-along and tongues to discuss what what the outcast was doing at such a holy event.
Noticing the disapproval on the faces of the thousands of congregants, Bishop Imakando stepped in to intervene and explain.
“Am sure some of you are wondering why we invited Malembe Kings…Malembe came home this time not for the suit but he came and told me he was very sorry,” Bishop Imakando explained.
“He said he had done things he was not proud of, he should have listened to me and he lay on the floor and he cried like a baby.”
He said just as the congregation was shocked with Malembe’s appearance he was equally speechless when the ‘Niwelesa singer’ almost drenched his sofas and carpet in his living room when he threw tantrums and cried like a baby requesting to be pardoned.
“I couldn’t believe it for the whole time he was in my house he was on the floor crying asking for forgiveness and so, I told him I have forgiven you and I will pray for your restoration. That is why you see him here,”the preacher explained.
Bishop Imakando said Malembe asked him to welcome him home in his church as life had already humbled him after the PF was oust from power leaving his spiritual life cluttered,
“He acknowledged that he did some things with politicians which he was not proud of and he saw that it had affected his spiritual life and that is how he came to apologize,” Bishop Imakando said.
He advised the congregants to welcome Malembe and not to be condemnatory but instead urged the to challenge him if he goes amiss again with sarcasm.
“As singers they are very explosive they would sing anywhere so sometimes you need to be able to say to them no no no not this one,” said Bishop Imakando.
“But genuinely he loves the lord he wants to follow Jesus so welcome back and God bless you.”
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As the Bishop gave a welcome speech the crestfallen Malembe clasped his arms to his forearms.
Immediately he was taken in Malembe entertained the congregants with his trouse ripping rhumba dances as he jived to his songs Twapalwafye and Fyawa.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba January 1, 2024.
