Maravi

Chipata’s Vicar-General blames high poverty levels to leaders’ selfishness

Chipata’s Vicar-General blames high poverty levels to leaders’ selfishness
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Mon 05 July 2010, 14:50 CAT

CHIPATA Diocese vicar-general Father Gabriel Msipu last Sunday attributed the high poverty levels in the country to leaders’ selfishness.

Delivering his sermon at St Anne’s Cathedral during the 9:30 hours
Nyanja Mass, Fr Msipu said the high poverty levels in country did not
come as a result of God’s creation.

“I am asking you to listen carefully because some of you when I talk about political issues or about government you normally go and lie to the offices so listen carefully so that you can tell them the truth. I will not mention any name or political party but I want to say things the way they are. Don’t take the poverty that people are experiencing in this country to be as a result of God’s creation, no. Some of us were born in poverty and we take poverty as a normal thing but that’s not it,” Fr Msipu said.

“I want to repeat that we are a rich country, we are not supposed to be poor but the problem is that some of our leaders whether they are MPs, whether they are ministers they don’t have a good will for the people; they don’t have that heart to help the people. The sufferings that people face does not just come by, they come because of the selfishness of certain leaders whether they are in government or political parties or even in the church.”

Fr Msipu said the political intimidation that was in the country was
not helpful.

“If you look at what is in the newspapers now…I think political intimidation which is there is not helpful. There are some people whose hearts are filled with fear because they know they are being followed, they know they are being targeted. I think at our level we should do politics the way the whites do…,” Fr Msipu said.

He said people criticize to correct certain things that were not in order.

“How many Bishops are being targeted? How many priests are being followed? How many especially the political figures have no peace in their mind? We are just pointing fingers at each other, now when are we going to look at the real needs of the people? Poverty reduces people’s dignity and we have to know where this comes from. Our leaders can change things, the money is there but the monies are going into the pockets of few individuals instead of doing developmental programmes that could help the masses,” Fr Msipu said.

He said although the country was going into an election next year, very few things had happened in certain places.

“Five years have elapsed and next year we are going into an election what has happened to the people of Vubwi? People of Tafelansoni? People of Mwanya? People of Chitungulu, Chibeza, and Chifunda even Chama what has happened? Now when they do a road they publicize and sing even a bridge in Vubwi they do that, but that is shoddy work. Now are our lives going to change for the better?” Fr Msipu asked.

He also bemoaned government’s delays in paying civil servants.

“You find a situation where the salary which is the only livelihood to
some people delays, the ATM bounces because there is no money. But
where does this money go? But now if we have a by-election today, I
privately went to Milanzi during the just ended by-election and people
suspended their meals because they were receiving breakfast from the
party, they were receiving meat during lunch. I don’t know the number
of animals that were slaughtered during the by election,” said Fr Msipu.

“…People were receiving beds while money was flying all over in Milanzi. The question is why is it that money is always found for such
occasions? Where does this money come from? People want development;
farmers are stuck with their maize after being promised that the
market will be opened on May 1 but this is July, the market is not
yet open. People are selling maize at K30, 000 while in other places
they are selling at K28, 000 but the promised price is K65, 000. Where
is the justice?”

Labels: CHIPATA, GABRIEL MSIPU, GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP, POVERTY

posted by MrK @ 2:32 PM