The+Church+has+played+a+vital+role+in+SA,+Nzimande,+Post



=The Church has played a vital role in SA - Nzimande=


 * By Nomusa Michelo**

Post, Thursday March 30, 2006
THE Church has played a vital role in our country, South African Communist Party secretary general Dr Blade Nzimande has said.

At a breakfast meeting with church leaders at Lusaka's Hotel Intercon-tinental yesterday, Dr Nzimande said the experience of the South African communist party with the Church was that of struggle to uplift the disadvantaged.

"If there is any mistrust about communist party in South Africa, it will come from the white man," he said. Dr Nzimande said what brought the Church and the communist party together was the struggle to end mistreatment of the disadvantaged.

“We need to find ways to strengthen relations with the Church,” he said.

Dr Nzimande said the Church had for a long time played a vital role in South Africa.

“There are quite a number of priests who are members of the party,” he said.

And Dr Nzimande said the land issue in South Africa was bigger than in Zimbabwe.

He also said the Catholic Church in South Africa owned almost one per cent of the land resources and wanted to have the land reverted to the state for the benefit of society.

“The Church has been wanting to hand over this land to the government, but government seems not to have a plan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Nzimande said the Church in South Africa was the leading consumer of Sunlight bar soap and Vaseline Blue Seal by Unilever.

He said when Unilever was approached by the Church on what it gave back to the community, the company said they sponsored golf.

“Sixty per cent of the Vaseline Blue Seal and Sunlight soap is consumed by the Church alone,” he said.

He said there was need to find ways to benefit consumers of such products.

He said the Methodist Church was the most progressive of the various denominations. Dr Nzimande said the communist party would work with the Church in areas of common interest.

“We are going to work with the Church in South Africa in areas where we have common goals,” he said.

And Dr Nzimande said one of the biggest reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union was the tendency by the communist party to substitute itself for everything.

He said there was need for a new communist model that would seek to build relationships that would not be broken.

Dr Nzimande said there was need to increase investment in productive activities to bring about economic empowerment among black people.

“The African continent will only grow if we address development problems,” he said.

Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Bishop Paul Mususu said people did not want to rely on the goodwill of those in leadership to provide for participation of women and the youth.

Bishop Mususu said it was unfortunate that the Church was being seen as aspiring to be political when they criticised government.

Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections director Father Pete Henriot said unless some of the justice issues in dealing with HIV and AIDS were addressed, not much would change.

“HIV is much wider than can be addressed by ARVs (Antiretroviral),” said Fr Henriot.

And during a cocktail party held by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post on Tuesday, Dr Nzimande said dictatorships never announced themselves. Dr Nzimande said there was a lot of talk about alliances in Zambia despite it not being a new thing.

Dr Nzimande said it was unfortunate that alliances were generally forgotten once political power was attained.

“Once we attain independence these alliances tend to fragment and power shifts to the state,” he said.

“And a state that is not supported by mass democratic power has the potential of becoming dictatorial state.”

Dr Nzimande said dictatorship governments usually announced themselves as democracies.

Dr Nzimande paid tribute to the Zambian people for their sacrifice in bringing liberation and peace to the African continent.

“Sometimes I feel that Zambians are too modest,” he said.

Dr Nzimande said despite having a lot to lose, Zambia chose to help its neighbours and other African countries.

Dr Nzimande called on Zambians not to leave political debate to the elite.

He said a robust political and economic debate was crucial for development.

“It is very important to have economic debate if we are to change and change for the better,” he said.

“History has taught us that economic growth alone is not an answer to all the problems we face.”

Dr Nzimande also said there was similar debate on the economic growth and development in South Africa.

He said people must be vigilant to ensure the constitution was followed.

Dr Nzimande said although the South African Constitution was widely thought of as being democratic, it was just a piece of paper which could be mishandled.

“A Constitution is only a piece of paper plus words,” he said.

Dr Nzimande said it was important to always hold political leaders accountable during their terms of office.

He said five years was a long time to wait to make a change in elections as many things could go wrong within that period.

“By the time you vote in five years, things could have gone horribly wrong,” he said.

Dr Nzimande called on civil society to be critical of bad things but also not to take the place of political parties.

“By civil society, it doesn’t inherently mean opposition, but being critical when it is necessary,” said Dr Nzimande.


 * From: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=8234**

919 words