AFRICA/ZAMBIA - President and Bishops discuss state/Church collaboration

Friday, 20 July 2007

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Lusaka (Agenzia Fides)- State/Church collaboration was the focus of a meeting on 12 July between the Catholic Bishops of Zambia and the Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa.
In a statement sent Fides the president of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Telesphore G. Mpundu of Lusaka, said they told the President they were grateful to the government for listening to their request to abolish rates for Catholic schools and hospitals which receive government grants. Archbishop Mpundu said that state and Church collaborate also in measles vaccination campaigns.
He said they expressed appreciation for the value given to peace by the people and the institutions of Zambia saying that this put the country ahead of others in Africa because Zambia's government have always guaranteed peace. They recalled that local Catholic Church gives great importance to peace as a condition for integral development.
However they also mentioned areas of concern, reminding the president that the bishops are moved not by political motives but simply by the faith in God.
Among the problems raised with the president the Bishops mentioned shortage of teachers especially in secondary schools and that this lowers the standards of education.
The said difficulties in the healthcare system are due to a change in management of state funds which affects Catholic hospitals in rural areas which are disadvantaged in terms of funds and medicines”.
Recalling that the Church speaks on behalf of many Gambians including the poorest ones, the Bishops told the President that they felt obliged to speak out for people still waiting for a pension. They asked the President to ask the ministries involved to make an effort to guarantee regular payment of pension due after many years of hard work. Lastly the Bishops called for more control on working conditions in companies owned by Asian investors coming from countries with a bad reputation for treatment of workers. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/7/2007 righe parole)