Maravi

Barotse activists mourn Duffy

Barotse activists mourn Duffy
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:59 CAT

THE Barotse Free-dom Movement Linyungandambo says Bishop Eme-ritus Paul Duffy's death has deprived Barotse activists of a wise ally in their struggle against the government. And Mongu Diocese Bishop, Evans Chinyemba, has asked parishioners in the area to be prepared to contribute towards the funeral expenses of Bishop Duffy.

In an interview yesterday, Barotse Freedom Movement Linyungandambo BFML national secretary Mulasikwanda Chazele said Bishop Duffy, who died of leukaemia in the US last Tuesday, spoke for the people of Barotseland when the government was blocking them from doing so.

"We are very sorry about the death of Bishop Duffy as an organisation," Chazele said.

"We used to rely on his wisdom and his affection for the poverty-stricken. He was really speaking for the poor. It should be a lesson to other clergymen that they should take a leaf from Bishop Duffy's dedication."

Chazele said Bishop Duffy looked at people as children of God irrespective of their colour or tribe.

"The government should realise that he was committed to the upholding of the people's rights. We have lost an ally of wisdom," said Chazele.

"We were being blocked from expressing the truth by the government and we don't know who to rely on now."

And in a letter addressed to all the parishes in Mongu Diocese, Bishop Chinyemba said each parish was expected to at least contribute about K500, 000 towards Bishop Duffy's funeral.

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral priest in-charge, Fr Wilfred Hodari, who read the letter during English Sunday Mass last Sunday, said parishioners in the Diocese were expected to meet all the funeral costs as no money was being expected from anywhere.

He said individual financial contributions should be handed over to the Diocesan treasurer Fr Michael Ngosa while material contributions should be taken to the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, being the house of mourning.
Fr Hodari said people had started making individual contributions towards Bishop Duffy's funeral costs.

Earlier, Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral Parish Council chairperson David Chengamali said the available information was that Bishop Duffy's body would arrive in Lusaka today around 12:50 hours aboard a South African Airways flight.

Chengamali, who said a special financial collection will be taking place for the whole week to raise funds to support the period of mourning that is expected to draw hundreds of people to Mongu Diocese, said burial is likely to take place on Monday in Mongu.

But sources within the funeral committee said ZEC was yet to announce the official funeral programme.

The sources said there had been suggestions forwarded to ZEC by the Diocesan Committee overseeing the funeral arrangements and ZEC was yet to respond to those proposals.

Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT, BISHOP DUFFY, PAUL DUFFY

posted by MrK @ 1:58 PM