Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa, says government is ready to meet and dialogue with the Catholic bishops over the concerns they raised in the pastoral letter which has been circulating on different social media platforms.
Mr. Mweetwa noted that government values and respects all churches in the country and beyond but that it is prudent to dialogue than issuing statements through the media.
He says the government will continue maintaining an open door policy at the same time dialogue with different stakeholders including catholic bishops who talked about the economic state of the country.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mweetwa has observed that the media is a good platform to communicate with people but if not properly used, it has potential to cause misunderstanding.
The Minister said this in Lusaka today at a press briefing held at his office.
Mr. Mweetwa indicated that the issues raised by the Catholic bishops are of serious concern but advised that the bishops could have found a better way of channeling out the matters to government.
He said dialogue is the best way to engage with one another as it will provide accountability and transparency for all parties involved.
Mr. Mweetwa,however, added that as much as government appreciates the concerns raised by the bishops, they could have also proposed best solutions to help the government govern the people effectively.
He stated that in their statement to government, the bishops just talked about the state of the economy without providing solutions.
“We have seen and heard the statement that was issued by some catholic bishops through different social media platforms. We respect and acknowledge their concerns. But we are wondering why they chose to use the media instead of coming to us and dialogue. As a government, we are ready to meet them so that we talk face to face and not through the media,” Mr. Mweetwa stated.
The Minister stated that President Hakainde Hichilema is a strong believer of sober dialogue in view of achieving a win- win situation that will propel economic development.
He explained that president Hichilema is also a strong defender of the rule of law and that he will defend the supremacy of the law to its latter.
On the 10th of November 2023, Catholic bishops through a press briefing, issued a statement to the government which circulated on different social media platforms highlighting the alleged economic state of the country.
Don’t mislead us that there’s a difference between the Party and the Government. UPND operatives have elected to insult the Bishops instead of addressing the substance of the letter. Both the Party and the Government have one President whose responsibility is to guide his members. It’s better to address yourselves to the content of the Pastoral Letter and not its authors. Many people have agreed with what the Bishops have said as a true reflection of how things are in the New Dawn
EPONAGE charges on Bishops too? Dialog with Fred first, listen to him, he means good.
Zambia is not a theocracy. The ruling government does not owe foreign priests an accounting. Furthermore, these priests should know that the economic problems in Zambia are the result of the US $31 billion that Satan and Lungu borrowed and looted, which Zambia can now not pay. What I want to ask is if these bishops would support a law that would state that every province should be responsible for paying the debt that was incurred to make projects in it.
No sane Bishop would want to dialogue with freemas0ns like hh. I advise them to go with holy water and spray it everywhere. Too much ubuloshi mu upnd
Viva Knights Templar
unfortunately you and your dunderhead no nothing about brotherhood
if you did there would be no chaos in you broken party
@Kamyanga-Nyoko Kaizar Zulu: You respect the bishops of a church that has produced more homosexuals by hammering altar boys in anas, over the president of Zambia who is a happily husband and father of a successful family? Your sexual confusion is not surprising given how you have explained how your mother was the first woman you ever ate, and whom you say taught you everything you know about the body of a woman. Even though your ancestor, Zwangendaba kaZiguda Jele Gumbi, was married to two sisters, I have no doubt that like any moral and sane real African man, he would quickly stab you with his assegai than tolerate your hideous sight and pollutive presence.
Vatican City, Nov 15, 2023 / 05:40 am
The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a document on Wednesday reaffirming that Catholics are forbidden from becoming Freemas0ns.
The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines who had expressed concern at the growing number of Catholics in his diocese who are taking part in Freemas0nry and asked for suggestions for how to respond pastorally. Tikki go to hell with your father hh
Kamyanga-Nyoko Kaizar Zulu: Only you think the president of Zambia should care about and do what the homosexuals the Vatican based Roman Catholic Church wants. But then again, sexual deviants always support each other.
There is nothing wrong with Free Masonry.
Firstly, Mr Mweetwa Congratulations for being oustanding from other ruling parties that have ruled us. Yes Mr UPND Spokesperson masquerading as Government Spokesperson, tell us why you are the government that has arrested more opposition politicians than any other since Zambia’s independence.
@Bola Yabipa: The question is not how many of them have been arrested, it is whether or the one who deserve to be arrested for looting national resources have actually been nabbed. You and I can surely agree that UPND has not even touched the tip of the iceberg on this one. If 10, 000 need to be arrested, then let 10, 000 be arrested.
It is because the opposition is failing to accept the fact that they are out of Government. PF is just unruly and that is the fact.
What’s there to dialogue? You know what you are doing wrong so just correct it and the Catholic Church will be quiet. We chibushi mabwe.
The Catholic Church was completely silent while white people oppressed black people in Southern Africa. Never once did they raise their finger to protest the racial discrimination committed by white people like them in Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho and South Africa. All of a sudden, now that black people in these countries have attained political emancipation with the help of the Russians and the Chinese, the homosexuals from the Rome want to start running our countries by telling us what to do. I thought they came to preach and promote God… But I hear that their pope is about to oppose the Bible and endorse homosexuality. Of course you fools will do and support whatever white people tell you to
When u insulted the bishop you were allowed to meet them in Kasama. You sent Mutati and Milupi. You never learnt anything from that meeting. Here you go again , they have given your very good information about the state of the nation. Instead of tanking them for free advice, you cadres and your ministers start insulting the bishops and calling them trbalists. What kind of persons are you?
Just do the right thing and stop arguing with the Bishops. They are merely pointing out the weaknesses and the best you can do is thank them and rectify the wrongly. I wonder why politicians are so arrogant when they get into power.
It will be interesting
It will be interesting to see the outcome
The fight starts now……..
The Bishops were not asking for dialogue. No matter how much Imenda and your likes insulted, the mealie meal still remains at k330, fuel at 29, fertilizer at k1200 and the selective arrests of citizens. If I have to add more, the mining and agriculture sector is still in shambles. Just address those issues the way HH promised the Zambian people and all will be fine. I will not even talk about the the exchange rate that stands now at k24 when HH said by 14:00hrs. The 2.8m Zambians elected a conman and they are still unemployed in our homes eating our expensive food.
Vatican City, Nov 15, 2023 / 05:40 am
The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a document on Wednesday reaffirming that Catholics are forbidden from becoming Freemasons.
The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines who had expressed concern at the growing number of Catholics in his diocese who are taking part in Freemasonry and asked for suggestions for how to respond pastorally.
Hh cannot be Christian because he is freemason
To be Freemason one has to believe in God. I think the true reason why Catholics are against their members from becoming free Masons is to prevent loss of membership. You can not be Catholic and SDA at the same time. Similarly one cannot be be both UNIP and FDD at the same time.
Christians really ? Church ever sunday then off to the mistress or scheming what to steal
Plus you ECL hiding behind his so called church for what
Forgiveness
Vatican City, Nov 15, 2023 / 05:40 am
The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a document on Wednesday reaffirming that Catholics are forbidden from becoming Freemas0ns.
The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines who had expressed concern at the growing number of Catholics in his diocese who are taking part in Freemas0nry and asked for suggestions for how to respond pastorally.
More evidence hh is a satanist
Sorry not enough room in hell after most PF members fill vacancies
Vatican ?? embroiled in corruption is it not
HH is confused. That’s why he couldn’t turn up on national prayer day.
He is an SDA but when he goes to Israel he becomes a jew, wears their little cap and talks to that wall of theirs. Christians don’t do that! He is right now lost for what to do while his newly found friends commit genocide on Palestinians
Those bishops don’t need dialogue however just do the right thing , what those bishops said is exactly what Zambians all Zambians are saying everyday except UPND.
Assuming the Bishops mean well and have the interest of their many congregants at heart, they will welcome the opportunity for dialogue. Which is the more mature and pragmatic way to address issues – grandstanding and arm chair criticism or dialogue to enable deeper understanding of each others viewpoints, allowing exchange of possible solutions and approaches? The ball is in the Bishop’s court. Their response will show what they really after. The only person that fears to sit at the table is one who knows their position is indefensible. Such would opt to stand by the byways and exchange insults in public.
@Makunku: Of course one should ask where their Bishop-ness was when their fellow white people were brutally oppressing black people during colonialism. We know that they did not utter a single word at the time, and happily enjoyed the priviledges which came with their whiteness. Now that black people are running their own affairs, these characters now want to be meddling in every decision. These foreign churches are clearly operating deceitfully because the charter by which they operate in our country claims that theirs is a service to God, but the evident to reality is that it is an indulgence in politics.
This will end in tears. Appears our politicians are very bad learners of history. You are even disappointing die hard supporters like some of us. Free advice has been given.
Indeed free advice does not require dialogue. Forewarned is forearmed. It’s like our politicians become gods as soon as they are sworn in.
I said when these PF animals started saying in 2021 that whoever was president in 2021 when the Eurobonds Michael Satan and his evil nephew Chagwa Chakolwa HIV+ Lungu were getting and looting became, would lose the presidency. The economic pain in Zambia was caused by Satan and Lungu. HH has been forced to remove the subsidies on mealie meal, and to use that money to pay the US $31 billion the people you voted for borrowed and looted. Do not blame us, it is your fault. You can removed HH, and things are going to get 10x worse. You voted for him because you could see that they were already getting worse.
Iam very disappointed with upnd the way they used to talk during campaign and what is currently happening very different..It’s like privatization really damaged people’s brain to an extent that anything they see is opportunity to make money…Iam not surprised that foreigners are enjoying in Zambia then the owners of the land.
Zambians do not like each other. Even though they parrot “one Zambia one nation”. Deep down we are tribal and do not like each other. That is why foreigners have found a Paradise in this country.
What worries me about Cornelius Mweetwa is that he lies with supreme confidence and conviction. That to me makes him one of the most dangerous politicians in the country – a quintessential modern day Goebbels .
Kindly itemise his lies for us.
@fake-FACTS: No, Cornelius Mweetwa is straightforward man. The people you support, who lied to Zambia, and sold it to Lebanese homosexuals, then to South African Boer swindlers, to the Chinese, and now to foreign debt shylock are the ones who are really dangerous. Of course it is noteworthy that the Zambia they are selling is not in their own provinces. They are selling mines and minerals in other people’s provinces, and using the money to build universities in their own provinces ….
@Makunku: See how silent they are when you ask them for the facts. You are absolutely right bro. If Mr Mweetwa is a liar, show us his lies. Michael Satan lied to the Lozi by telling them that he would restore the Barotse Agreement in order to get their votes. That is an example of a lie
The Bishops are not Miles Sampa comrade Mweetwa
kkkkk this is total confusion after all that which was said about the Bishops now umuntu abwela ku buntu.
Be ……………….