By ANDREW PHIRI –
AGRICULTURE and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda says Government is open to positive criticism from the church as long as churches can offer good counsel.

. Lubinda

Mr Lubinda said Government shall continue to create space for the church to offer checks and balances when they notice any wrong doing within the sectors of Government departments.
Mr Lubinda was speaking in Livingstone on Saturday when he officiated at the golden jubilee celebrations of Maria Regina parish in Linda on it attainment of 50 years of existence.
He said the celebration of the parish’s 50 years was of great significance to the people within the community, Livingstone and the country as a whole.
Mr Lubinda said the gathering of people in numbers to celebrate the Church’s 50 years signified how Zambians were united with Jesus Christ and the faith they had in the current leadership of the country.
“When you see where we are going wrong as Government, you as a church need to come in and tell us that we have made an error and we shall accept your wise counsel. That must not mean that you throw stones at us,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said it was important for Zambians to be productive and avoid negative criticism, a thing he said was un-productive to the nation, looking at the recent negative attacks by some sections of society and ill-intended media houses on the republican President Edger Lungu and the Government.
“My message to you today is that is be that productive tree. When people throw stones at you, be strong and show them by giving them positive results because you are that tree that is productive and bares fruit, so ignore them,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda said this was true testimony by the way President Lungu handled criticism because he believed in giving the people of Zambia the best by his deeds and application of policies.
He further said Government was aware of the immense contribution of the church in the country in developmental issues and re-affirmed the State’s commitment in working and supporting all churches in the country.
Livingstone Diocese Bishop Raymond Mpezele encouraged people to be used by God in order to make other people’s lives better.
Bishop Mpezele said it was a duty of all mankind to ensure that lives of those deprived in society was made better.
“God can use anyone to bring development to people’s lives. So I encourage every one of us here to allow God to use us in order to make other people’s live better. Let’s keep up in the spirit of charity and cooperation,” Bishop Mpezele said.