President Edgar Lungu has called on the church to get involved and take the lead in the implementation of the Plant a Million Trees Initiative and Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy campaign.

The Head of State said the Catholic Church is well positioned to encourage other churches and citizens to implement the two programmes because of its resolve to care for the environment as espoused in the 2018 theme for Lusaka Archdiocese.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu was speaking when he attended mass at St. Mary Assumption Parish in Chilanga district.

The Head of State said both government and the church believe in the same principles and values of saving the environment hence the need to partner in order to achieve the goal of safeguarding the environment and keeping communities clean and healthy.

“Why can’t the Roman Catholic Church take over my call to keep Zambia clean, that’s what you are talking about there” said President Lungu as he referred to the Church’s 2018 theme of Care for the environment.

He regretted that the heavy political saturation in the country drowns even the best intentions and practices from government leaders as they are labelled political even when they are supposed to benefit the Church and citizens.

President Lungu assured that the church will always remain an ally of government to bring about sustained improvement in the welfare of citizens.

The President urged the Church to continue praying for politicians to drive away seeds of discord and any prevailing misunderstandings so that ordinary Zambians do not suffer at the expense of selfish politicians.

President Lungu also called on the Church to take its position and provide guidance in the national dialogue process.

He said political parties and stakeholders stalling the dialogue process and preventing the church’s participation should be left alone so that those interested can sit and talk about building and promoting peace in the country.

The President stressed that he had not come to St. May Assumption Parish in Chilanga to campaign but fulfil a long standing appointment with the parish and pray with the parishioners.

He said he will go back to Chilanga to campaign for PF Candidate Maria Langa at an appropriate time

And Parish Priest Godfrey Mashilipa paid tribute to President Lungu for calling for a violence free campaign in the forth coming Chilanga by election.

Fr. Mashilipa said he was impressed by President Lungu directing his ministers to ensure that the PF abstains from violence and prevail on other political players to desist from fighting.

The Catholic Priest said President Lungu’s call for violence free campaigns demonstrates a desire to promote peace and unity in the country.

Fr. Mashilipa appealed to politicians to be good role models to youths and desist from using them to fan violence in the country especially during political campaigns.

He urged political leaders aspiring to higher office to respect those in power and desist from insulting and ridiculing the office of Presidency.

Fr. Mashilipa counseled President Lungu not to get distracted by people criticizing him and his leadership but instead focus on governing the country in order to improve the welfare of Zambians.

He further called on Zambians to exercise self-disciplin by not engaging in corrupt practices and abuse of public resources if the country is to develop.

Government says it will deploy adequate security to police Chilanga district ahead of the parliamentary by election in the district in order to quell any pockets of violence.

Minister of Home Affairs Steven Kampyongo told journalists in Chilanga that necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that Zambia Police deals with any pockets of violence in the ongoing campaigns.

Mr. Kampyongo warned that Police will deal decisively with perpetrators of violence regardless of their political affiliation.

The Home Affairs Minister said it is imperative that all political parties and stakeholders refrain from violence and conduct their campaigns peacefully.

The Chilanga seat fell vacant following the incarceration of former Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), Member of Parliament Keith Mukata.

The Patriotic Front (PF), is fielding Maria Langa while the opposition UPND is fielding Charmaine Musonda in the by election slated for June 5, 2018.

Works and Supply Minister Felix Mutati has projected that North Western Province will surpass one of the top two provinces in taxes contributions (Lusaka and Copperbelt) due to the infrastructure development which is slowly taking shape in the Province.

Responding to North Western Province Permanent Secretary Ephraim Mateyo who updated the Minister on the number of developmental projects which are near completion and those that have been completed after he paid a courtesy call on the Provincial Administration in Solwezi on Saturday, Mutati said the infrastructure which is being put up in the Province will not only improve service delivery in the province but add to the country’s confers.

He explained that the efficiency that will be created by the Chingola-Solwezi Road will translate itself in the acceleration of cash follows for the mining sector in North Western Province thereby contribute to the country’s economy as mines will not only boost production but be able to pay their royalties sooner rather than later.

“We are quiet happy with your leadership in the various development projects that are happening in North Western Province in particular your stubborn leadership in ensuring that road from Solwezi to Chingola is worked on at a faster pace including the role you played in ensuring that North Western Province is connected to the national grid and I think you deserve the title of Grand Commander of Distinguished Services.

“And I think that when we talk about growing the economy, when we talk about turning the wheels of GDP including creating jobs including diversifing the economy it is by investing in solid infrastructure. The efficiency that will be created by the Chingola-Solwezi Road will translate itself in the acceleration of cash flows for our colleagues in the mining sector here in North Western Province and therefore we will be able to collect our royalties a little sooner rather than later and I think it is a motivation also to the mining sector to boost their production.

“So as Government we shall invest in infrastructure, we are trying to walk on that path to realise vision 2030 and I think North Western remains the new hub of economic activity and I dare say that in terms of contribution to taxes apart from the Copperbelt and Lusaka North Western is the biggest contributer to the treasury and I think very soon it will over take one of these two provinces because of the infrastructure being worked on,” said Mutati.

And Mutati commended the provincial administration for ensuring that government motor vehicles were not being abused.

“I also want to take a leaf from you PS that you can’t have a system without controls and the reason we have come here is very simple that we need to re-enforce the control mechanisms that you are already putting in place, the control mechanism that we have been pleased with in this province particularly in terms of minimising the abuse in terms of use of government motor vehicles.

“This Province has registered progress even before we visited them through your leadership this programme had already started and effectively so. You have put in place control mechanisms to ensure that the little resource that we generate as an economy is prudently applied,” he said

Earlier the provincial PS reported that only 10 Kilometres of the Solwezi-Chingola road was remaining which is earmarked for completion at the monthend of July 2018 and that all the districts in the province have now been connected to the national grid among many tangible developments in the Province.