Church to name date for national dialogue

THE Church is working round the clock to hold the long - awaited national dialogue and a date for the indaba will soon announced, National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili has said.

Reverend Sumaili said in an interview yesterday that the church had made progress in setting up the date for the national dialogue and that this would be announced soon.

Rev Sumaili said the Church was working round the clock to ensure that the process was expedited because Zambians were eager to know the day when the important event would take place.

She urged traditional leaders and other religious groups in the country to participate in the process.

She said the national dialogue process would be all-inclusive hence no one would be excluded.

The traditional leaders played a critical role in the governance of the country, therefore, they could not be left out in the dialogue, she said.

Dialogue was an opportunity for citizens to find lasting solutions to challenges the country was facing, therefore, although Zambia was a Christian nation, other religions were respected and would participate in the dialogue, she said

She said Government believed that other religions in the country could also help to offer solutions to issues affecting the country.

The Islamic Council of Zambia (ICZ) recently appealed to the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs requesting it to participate in national dialogue.

“Our friends in the Muslim community know that the ministry has reached out to them every time we have meetings so they will surely participate in this important event,” Rev Sumaili said.