For peace to return to W/Province, release Barotse activists - Duffy

For peace to return to W/Province, release Barotse activists - Duffy
By Roy Habaalu in Mongu
Sun 01 May 2011, 04:02 CAT

MONGU Catholic Diocese Bishop Paul Duffy says there is tension against the government in Western Province. And Bishop Duffy said he doesn’t see how a mobile hospital would work on the terrain in Western Province.

Bishop Duffy said President Rupiah Banda should release detained Barotse activists for peace to return to the province.

“Just recently, President Banda pardoned some prisoners and why not release those detained over the Barotseland issues! Things are still not settled here. What are the police still doing…? It’s because government knows that there is still unrest. Even if they don’t want to admit it, they caused the deaths. They should apologise,” Bishop Duffy said.

“The whole thing is that government is causing problems, agitation on people who are still mourning. People are still in a state of shock,” he said.

Bishop Duffy said it was sad that a 16-year-old Barotse detainee died in detention after government refused to release him on medical grounds.

He said tension is mounting among the people after the government failed to apologise over the death of Barotse activists.

Bishop Duffy said people were annoyed with Vice-President George Kunda’s failure to apologise over the Lozi deaths when he officiated at this year’s Kuomboka ceremony.

“People were killed and maimed without any apology from the government but in Mazabuka government representatives rushed to apologise and offered assistance but nothing for Western Province where the situation was worse. Government missed an opportunity to make peace with the people,” Bishop Duffy said.

President Banda privately met relatives of the two people who were killed during the Mazabuka riots before handing over the mobile hospitals.

On mobile hospitals, Bishop Duffy said the government should have solved challenges in existing hospitals before buying mobile hospitals.

“You borrow money from China to buy Chinese products to be managed by Chinese personnel, putting the country into more debt. I don’t see how they will be able to effectively work because the terrain is bad,” said Bishop Duffy.