AFRICA/MALAWI - Mgr. Mukasa Zuza dies in a car accident

Saturday, 17 January 2015

Mzuzu (Agenzia Fides) - Mgr. Joseph Mukasa Zuza (59 years old), bishop of the Diocese of Mzuzu (Malawi) and President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, tragically died in a car accident on January 15th.
The communications secretary of the Malawi bishops conference, Fr. Andrew Kaufa, confirmed the death on January 15.
Mgr. Mukasa Zuza was very attentive to social issues. In an interview with Fides (see Fides 12/11/2014), during the last ad limina visit in November 2014, Mgr. Mukasa Zuza reported that "in Malawi, people are dying due to lack of medicine and health care, because there are not enough funds to be allocated to health care".
The Bishop recalled that this is one of the most terrible consequences of the so-called "cashgate", the scandal that engulfed much of the state administration and policy of Malawi, caused by the embezzlement of funds donated by the international community (in particular by the European Union) covering 40% of the state budget.
"Because of cashgate - explained the Bishop to Fides - our international partners have stopped sending additional funds, until they are sure that the money they give is properly used. The sector most affected by the lack of support of our donors is health. Some drugs are becoming increasingly expensive and there are no resources to purchase them. There are people dying for lack of care".
In this difficult phase, he said "the Church does what it can to help those most in need, but we are dependent on foreign aid and we cannot meet all the needs, since the State itself is not able to do so". (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 17/01/2015)


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