UNIP backs Church on dialogue

By NATION REPORTER UNITED National Independence Party (UNIP) in Southern Province has welcomed the decision by the three church mother bodies to lead the long-awaited national dialogue.

The party says the decision by the Church to take charge of the dialogue process which was made public last week was long overdue.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Nation in Livingstone, UNIP provincial chairman Captain Robert Mukengami said from the onset, his party was of the view that national dialogue should be led by the church.

Captain Mukengami said now was the right time to start the process adding the Church must in fact expedite the process.

He maintained that national dialogue was not just for the opposition UPND and the ruling PF but for all political parties.

"This issue has taken long from last year it has been dragging up to date. Now that the three mother body churches have come out clear, we are expecting results," he said.

And captain Mukengami has advised the media in the country to report with consciousness on the true reÀection of what was happening in the nation.

According to him, some media houses were bent on scandalising the PF particularly President Edgar Lungu and making it as though the country was at war when in fact not.

"Some of you journalists and your media houses are doing a disservice to this nation, the kind of reporting you are pursuing is very bad because you're making it look as though Zambia is at war which is not correct," he said.

"Zambians want to know more about development and not politics every day. We want real issues about the welfare of our people in rural areas not reports about corruption which cannot be substantiated by those accusing others," he said.