District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba has said Nchelenge District in Luapula Province risks losing out from the civil aviation fund because of the standoff over the management of the airstrip.The Saint Paul’s Mission Hospital that own and manage the airstrip for the Flying Doctors Medical Services was reluctant to allow a government takeover.
Saint Pauls Catholic Church Board Chairperson Tassisius Mwansa asked for time to consult with the hospital management over the matter.Mr. Mwansa said there was a donor that had promised to aid the Catholic Church with funds to rehabilitate the airstrip and that with passage of time the situation could have changed.
However District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba said government through the aviation department has put aside undisclosed amount of money to expand and refurbish the airstrips in the Province.
Mr. Chakaba said the Catholic Church through the Saint Paul’s Mission Hospital that own and manage the airstrip for the Flying Doctors Medical Services was reluctant to allow a government takeover.
He said the government through the civil aviation has indicated its willingness to improve and expand the existing infrastructure of all the airstrips in the province.
The DC noted that nothing much has been achieved in Nchelenge because of the resistance by the church over the government intent to take over the management of the airstrip.
Mr. Chakaba said this during the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) meeting which was held at the Council Chamber yesterday.
He urged the DDCC members to engage the church leadership on the way forward before the money is meant for the district is redirected.
Mr. Chakaba observed that the airstrip in the area has been encroached and risk being closed if nothing is done to change the status quo.
He further said the people have with impunity continued to indiscriminately bury their dead and build houses around the airstrip.
The District Planning Officer (DPO) for Nchelenge Danny Chibinda has bemoaned the indiscriminate encroachment at the airstrip and said efforts to put a stop to the vice have proved futile.
Mr. Chibinda said the local authority had put up posters and radio announcements through the local Radio Station to stop the vice but to no avail.
today am just here to read your comments. especially those made by ‘wanzelu’ he/she puts up lengthy but very intelligent contributions. good day
Keep the Govt away. They will ruin everything!
The Vatican is being exposed for what it is: The most criminal organization in existence. The crimes that they have managed to commit against humanity for 2000 years via its criminal priests, nuns, and evil religious leaders are now being discovered worldwide, as it is written that any day now, the Catholic Church will go up in flames and be destroyed forever, as it is the mother of all abominations on Earth.
The Protect Your Children Foundation is documenting and exposing all of its crimes worldwide, alerting entire nations of the dangers that the Catholic Church poses to our children in our communities, as they have been implementing crime schemes of rape, torture, starvation, human experiments, abuse, exploitation and more in its religious institutions while claiming to help children.
What Article are you commenting about?
It is indeed a dirty organization but we’re talking about refurbishment of an airstrip here and the stand off between govt and the church.
Please do not bring in the Vatican on this issue, yes they may have commited crimes against humanity, but, how many non catholics have done and are still doing that? many of us owe our education to the catholic missionaries; they are not using that airport for themselves but to help save lives: Keep your bitterness to yourself and think of the service that is being offered there; I am sure if you look at it in a non biased way you will reconsider on this matter:
The Catholic Church should be made to pay reparations to all of it’s living victims until it becomes defunct. Aside from the Nazis it is the most evil organization history has ever seen.?
lusaka bishop now you are quiet over missing sata and the pf ,that time of rb you were loud what has charge in pf now.GOD IS SEEN YOU.
The Roman Catholic Church is the one running the country in all angles.The Church has Schools,Hospitals and has helped vulnarable people everywhre.Are you not ashamed bamwaaccuusa?
Let the two institutions agree on what will benefit the community. All the best to the rural population that need this facility.
has this retard of a DC even carried out a cost benefit analysis of spending GRZ money to rehabilitate the airstrip instead of letting the Church , which by the way will do a job at true cost unlike the usual corrupt Government contracts which cadres divvy up for 5 times the cost of doing a job and never even do the job to standard.
LET THE CHURCH DO THE REHAB AND , HOW HEARTLESS CAN A GOVERNMENT GET?
Iwe chi DC leave the Catholics alone. Build your own airstrip ba swine!
Really sttupid bishops.
You asssholes were supporting PF and Sata n
Now look at the shirt Zambia is in!
Better just keep your mouths shut instead of praising this failed government
No amount of bootlicking can put this right.
We need to kick these thieves and conmen OUT, not praise them