The Catholic Church will continuously remind UPND of its commitment to serve the poor people

Catholic Diocese of Ndola Bishop Benjamin Phiri says the Church will continuously remind the UPND Government of its commitment to serve the poor people.

Speaking when Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo paid a courtesy visit on Monday morning, Bishop Phiri said the New Dawn Government should actualize promises to take development closer to the people.

Bishop Phiri said usually society tends to sideline the poor people in developmental matters.

The Bishop also pledged that the Church will work with the Government in the best interest of the people.

“Let me also talk about service to the poor. I am glad that you have alluded to service to the poor and that this Government is going to see to it that the poor are attended to. We work with the poor, we are in the villages, we are in the compounds and we are with the poorest of the poor. Very often the poor tend to be forgotten. When new guidelines or principles are made for investment and all that, the poor are not really thought about,” Bishop Phiri said.

“Look at this; like here on the Copperbelt, we have mines, we have these investors who are coming to invest. You go to a particular area, it is a poor area and ZEMA has cleared the people and so on to say yes you can invest but how much does the local population benefit from that? Not much. Apart from a few people that will be employed. That is not enough for that type of exercise. These mines and others should take upon themselves what they call corporate social responsibility, let them do something for the local community, let them build schools, let them build roads. If the Ndola/Lusaka road is damaged now it is because of them (mines who transport heavy goods),” he said.

“So I would like to say that this is very important, you were voted into Government on the principle that you will listen and you are going to serve the poor people. And the poor people need to be seen to be served not on promises but on actual service delivery. So for us as Church that is very important, for us that is what we shall constantly come to remind you about.”

Bishop Phiri told Mr. Matambo how land belonging to the Catholic Church meant for the poor in Ndola’s Minsundu area was allegedly sold to the rich by the Council and Ministry of Land.

“For instance, recently, we sat with the District Commissioner because of some land which we had given to the poor people there in the Minsundu area. We said, we bought this land now we are giving to the poor let it be distributed among them and let them be given title deeds but they were not given title deeds instead Ministry of Land and Council started selling land to people who had money, so that kind of thing that is where you find that we tend to differ. We may say no but we paid for that and you are not allocating land to people who are supposed to have it why. So we will work with you in that regard to see that the poor are given the services that are due to them including roads,” Bishop Phiri said.

In his remarks, Mr. Matambo preached unity and pledged to work with the Church.

“We need to be walking side by side with the Catholic Church on the Copperbelt even as a country at large. I think you just saw President Hakainde Hichilema last week when he met the Holy Father (Pope Francis). It is in the same line that the New Dawn Government gives respect to the Catholic and all Churches in our country. Personally I want to appreciate the works that have been going on for a long time on the Copperbelt before I was even born to do with the schools, education system. Where the Catholic has come in it has produced a lot of graduates. The mission in the health sector, who have got hospitals like Ibenga and several others. We appreciate and recognize your import as the New Dawn Government,” Mr. Matambo said.