Presiding Apostle of the Born-again faith and founder of Victory Christian Centre Church – Ndeeba, Dr Joseph Serwadda on Sunday spoke to Journalists about the 2021 General elections, FBO policy and ongoing preparations for the 18th Passover Festival scheduled to take place 31st December, 2019 at Mandela National Stadium.
“We will be expecting prophetic messages that give direction into the coming year,” Dr Joseph Serwadda started his speech.
Running under a theme inspired by 2 Chronicles 20:20, Dr Serwadda explained that this year’s Passover Festival will draw multitudes from various parts of the world including United Kingdom, USA, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan
“In 2020, we will see a remarkable, and exceptional turn around. There are things that are going to happen in that even those skeptical will say this has to be God,” Dr Serwadda said.
Stadium Protection
“For purposes of keeping the Stadium pitch grass intact, we were advised to keep human traffic off the grass. We will create a ring fence around the pitch,” he said.
According to Dr Serwadda, Police have been surveying the Stadium since 26th December, 2019. “The Metropolitan, the RPC, the DPC have all been amazingly helpful in directing the security plans,” he said.
“Laws made in bad faith”
Dr Joseph Serwadda expressed concern over bills and policies drafted by the leadership of Uganda, only to be shelved during their developmental stages.
He cited the Marriage Bill, the Comprehensive Sex Education and the Religious Faith Organizations policies.
“When the leadership of our nation prompts laws and during their developmental stages, they are retracted or shelved, it simply shows they had been, in the first place, brought in bad faith,” he said. “This augers negatively on the government.”
“My advice is, government should never bring a legislation unless they are sure they want to go the full length with it. What is the meaning of bringing a policy and then shelving it? It simply means it wasn’t brought in good faith,” he added.
Dr Joseph Serwadda noted that some of the shelved bills are only tabled again during an election season to appease the electorate.
‘Nobody should die because of an election’
Dr Joseph Serwadda urged all political parties partaking in the upcoming general elections to exercise a high level of tolerance towards each other and avoid eruptions of violence.
The Apostle, who is also a member of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, said all Ugandans have the freedom to express their views without intimidation.
He said the Electoral Commission should sensitize voters on the importance of participating in the electoral process, and that candidates of all political parties should publicly engage their supporters and urge them to stop violence in the run up to the polls.
“The coming year kicks off with activities to launch the campaigns for 2021 elections. We appeal to the general public to exercise restraint during this volatile and fluid voting season. Please avoid violence and practice tolerance for those who do not support your party,” he said.
“Everyone should be peaceful, starting from my old dad who is 92 years now, to the youngest person who is voting for the first time. Violence is not needed. In many countries where civilization has taken root, elections are like a big game,” he said.
Asked if the coalition of Faith Leaders intends to brief most especially political heavyweights on the need for peace during elections, Dr Serwadda said:
“If there are ways we can sign a pact, and agree to peace and tranquility during elections, we will be happy to support it.”
“I do not have the power to bring Kizza Besigye, Yoweri Museveni and all the others on a round table. My Job is to talk, and don’t you ever belittle talking. When we talk and say, ‘please avoid violence, stop this killing during elections’, we are not talking to empty air. We are talking to real human beings, and they are listening.”
Dr Serwadda also noted that Media has a role to play in Uganda’s forthcoming elections. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” he quoted Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke.
