THE Catholic Church has raised concern over the escalating high cost of living in the country.
Expressing its concern in a pastoral letter issued yesterday, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), represented by 12 bishops, highlighted the urgent need for guidance on political, economic, moral, and social issues affecting the nation.
ZCCB Vice President Right Reverend Charles Kasonde addressed the impact of the rising exchange rate and inflation, noting their adverse effects on the economy.
“While we commend the Government for the Zambia National Service mealie meal initiative that has seen the price of the commodity slightly reduced in some areas, however, we consider the price is still too high for the ordinary Zambian,” he said.
Bishop Kasonde has since asked Government to identify the root causes of the high mealie meal prices and put in place effective measures that would reduce the prices to ones that even the poor can afford.
He further called Government to provide affordable and accessible food to the citizenry as a matter of urgent priority since the cost of living has become unbearable for most households.
Bishop Kasonde said despite Government’s efforts in restructuring the economy, it is important that the process is transparent.
“We demand full disclosure of all bilateral and multilateral agreements as well as transparency in publication of the mining agreements with investors so that the Zambian people know what their public leaders are signing on their behalf,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bishop has urged Speaker of National Assembly Nelly Mutti to embrace criticism, build multi-partisan consensus, and accept that she or he is the Speaker of the National Assembly, not of a given political party or another arm of Government.
“It is also important for presiding officers in the National Assembly to follow the Constitution of Zambia, not precedence or tradition, when dealing with issues that touch on the supreme law of the land and whose resolution has a significant bearing on the character of our Republic as a multiparty democracy.
The election of different leaders in the National Assembly, for instance, should be guided by the Constitution, not precedence, especially in instances where that precedence may be unconstitutional. Precedence is to be observed only in relation to following the constitution of the Republic, not its violation,” he said.
(Mwebantu, Saturday, 11th November, 2023)