Maravi

Bishop Duffy refuses to apologise over regime change statement

Bishop Duffy refuses to apologise over regime change statement
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 08 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

MONGU Catholic Diocese Bishop Paul Duffy has said he does not owe anybody an apology over his recent statement that the people of Western Province want a change of government. And Bishop Duffy said he does not subscribe to a group calling itself the Bishops Council of Zambia (BCZ), which recently denounced him over his statement.

In an interview, Bishop Duffy said while he had received a lot of solidarity over his statement, the only physical negative reaction was from Mongu Central MMD parliamentarian Joseph Mulyata.

“The only negative reaction that I received was from the member of parliament for Mongu Central who came to my office on Saturday morning,” Bishop Duffy said. “He brought a couple of cadres with him.”

Bishop Duffy said Mulyata told him that he was just a Bishop and not spokesperson for the people of Western Province.

But Bishop Duffy said he told Mulyata that he was asked three specific questions by The Post during the interview, and he repeated what
he had said in the news article.

“I said the ones people who I am in contact with say ‘we have had MMD since 1991; it is time for change’,” Bishop Duffy reiterated.

He said on the issue of President Banda telling donors to pack their bags and leave, he told Mulyata and his cohorts that the head of state made a mistake.

And Bishop Duffy wondered who the Bishops Council of Zambia were.

“What is this Bishops Council of Zambia? None of us ever heard of that. I have been Bishop for 13 years, I haven’t heard of Bishops Council,” he said.

Bishop Duffy said if the Bishops Council of Zambia was a credible organisation, every bishop in the country would have contact with it.

“But do you know anything about this Bishop’s Council? Where have they come from?” Bishop Duffy asked. “Is it something they just came up
with last week in response to Rupiah Banda? Or is it just these fly-by-night groups?”

Asked if he had any apologies to make over his statement, a surprised Bishop Duffy said he had none.

“I have no apologies to make over my statement. Why should I apologise?” Bishop Duffy asked.

Bishop Duffy said assertions by chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province that he was working with Change Life Zambia (CLZ) executive director Fr Frank Bwalya were misplaced.

“I am not working with Fr Frank Bwalya. People who know me know that I am not working with Frank Bwalya,” said Bishop Duffy. Last week, Bishop Duffy said most people he had interacted with in Western Province feel that now is the time for change.

Labels: MMD, PAUL DUFFY, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 5:32 PM