Churches have mandate to assist in community development: Minister

Pamela Shumba  Senior Reporter
CHURCHES have a pivotal role to play in the socio-economic development of the country and should not shy away from partnering government in matters of development, a Cabinet Minister, has said.Welcoming a delegation of Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church officials from the church’s headquarters in the United States on Thursday, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Cde Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo, said churches had a mandate of assisting the government in bringing development to communities.

“Bulawayo has serious welfare challenges, most of which affect women that need to be attended to. Industries have shut down, resulting in a lot of people losing their jobs,” said Cde Moyo.

“Due to the fact that a lot of people are not employed, most children are not able to pay fees because their parents are poverty stricken. We really need assistance and would be grateful if churches partner government to revamp our hospitals, schools and other institutions to improve the livelihoods of communities.”

Cde Moyo said most children came from poor families, hence the need for churches to assist in the provision of food in schools. Bulawayo provincial education director Dan Moyo and Mpilo Central Hospital’s clinical director Dr Wedu Ndebele attended the meeting.

Moyo and Dr Ndebele said the health and education sectors needed a lot of assistance in terms of human, financial and material resources.

The secretary general of the World Church of the SDA General Conference GT Ng, who comes from Singapore, said his church was committed to developing communities.

“The government’s interests are also our interests because we serve the same communities. This is why we have schools all over the country. We will continue to compliment government’s work through developmental projects,” he said.

“We also have a wing that does humanitarian work responsible for relief in desperate communities.”

Ng was accompanied by senior local SDA officials and others from neighbouring countries.