Maravi

Presidential candidates have failed to articulate issues - Rev Matale

Presidential candidates have failed to articulate issues - Rev Matale
Sunday, October 26, 2008 10:30:03 PM
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe

COUNCIL of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) secretary general Reverend Suzanne Matale has said the church is not satisfied with issues being articulated by presidential candidates in their campaign for this Thursday’s election.

And Rev Matale has said it is sad that women still have to carry buckets of water on their heads in the 20th century.

In an interview, Rev Matale said so far as had been seen, there was lot of mudslinging, insults and unclear visions. Rev Matale said it was not too late as the politicians still had time to redeem themselves.

"They can give us strategies of what they can do for this country and this, we are not hearing any concrete sense," Rev Matale said.

Rev Matale also encouraged voters to use their right to vote because Zambians were not interested in governments which come into power through corruption.

She said people should freely vote for a person who can articulate issues.

"We are encouraging every voter to go and vote on October, 30 so that they can vote in a president of their choice, voted on their own conscious thinking on what they have heard and seen," she said.

And Rev Matale said the church had high expectations of the incoming government in putting people’s interests first.

"Like we have said year after year and government after government, that the responsibility of a government is to protect and take care of its people and therefore the government that must come into power must first of all prioritise the poverty issues we have in the country.

That is number one priority. We want people to live dignified lives, so creation of employment is a priority, provision of services is a priority for example starting from water shortages, women still have to carry buckets of water in the 20th century on their heads," she said.

She said Zambia needed a government that had compassion for its people.

Rev Matale said the church was looking at a government as servants of the people and not the other way round.

"So my appeal to the new government is that as soon as they get into the office, they should begin to see how they are going to lift the standards of the people and how they are going to provide services, hospitals clinics and education,” said Rev Matale.

Labels: CCZ, ELECTIONS, POLITICS, SUSAN MATALE

posted by MrK @ 10:31 PM