The Catholic Church in Malawi has directly challenged President Lazarus Chakwera to stop protecting public officers and politicians in governing parties who steal public funds at the expense of the poor majority.
Head of the Karonga Diocese Bishop Martin Mtumbuka was speaking during a funeral mass of the late Archbishop Gervazio Ziyaye of the Lilongwe Archdiocese at the Civo stadium in Lilongwe.
“You must learn from the legacy of late Archbishop Tarsizio Ziyaye by practicing decisive leadership in tackling corruption and ending poverty. We need to stop protecting thieves. We shouldn’t bend laws to favour crooks. Malawi is one of the poorest countries and we cannot continue like this,” he said.
Bishop Mtumbuka noted that if state leaders will continue blaming Covid-19 pandemic for their failure to develop and shield thieves, majority of Malawians will remain poor.
In his piece of advice to President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his vice Dr. Saulos Chilima, who were also among thousands paying their last respects to the Late Archbishop Ziyaye, Bishop Mtumbuka said its high time the two stop appeasing handclappers and bootlickers and focus on developing Mother Malawi.
The Archibishop died on Monday December 13 in Namibia where he was receiving medical treatment.
Until his death, he was Archibishop for the Lilongwe Archdiocese of the Catholic Church. His body was later laid to rest inside Maula Parish Cathedral, a stone throw away from Civo stadium.
Ziyaye, the former Chairperson of the quasi religious body PAC, came from Khombe village in the area of Traditional Authority Zulu in Mchinji. Born on May 19, 1949, Archibishop Ziyaye has died at the age of 71.
