Let’s “all fulfill our mandate”: Catholic Bishop in Malawi on Africa’s Debt Crisis

He went on to urge those at the helm of African nations “to be precise of what they want to say, and say so to their people in case of financial restructuring.”

“Leaders must recognize the potential of available resources to address social-economic challenges and leverage regional resources for development,” he added during the two-day conference scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, July 26.

At the conference that had some representatives of Malawi’s civil society organizations and government officials in attendance, the Catholic Church said utilizing and investing in available natural resources in Africa such as minerals can spur economic growth on the continent.

“Our focus should be on a growing economy; this means we cannot afford to have our generated revenue from our resources being consumed by debts,” he said at the conference that MEJN, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) dedicated to promoting good economic governance, organized.

Using the example of Malawi among other African countries, Bishop Mtumbuka said, “Debt repayment is choking delivery of public services and the cost of servicing external and domestic debt now exceeds expenditures on health, education, and social protection combined.”

More in Africa

Religious Leaders in Kenya “strongly urge” Legislators to Engage Citizens in the National Dialogue Committee Report

Read the article

However, despite the debt crisis in Malawi and other African countries, the Catholic Bishop said that “it is still important to be intentional as leaders and deliver what our communities need.”

To realize a more inclusive and responsible global financial status, he advocated for comprehensive reforms of the local and international agencies including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The Local Ordinary of Karonga Diocese who will turn 66 on August 5 urged the government of Malawi in particular to utilize the financial dialogue at the conference to realize its 2063 development aspiration.

“Conferences like this one provide an ideal platform to exchange experiences learned from one another and develop noble and practical ideas,” Bishop Mtumbuka said during his July 25 input, and added, “This gathering primarily seeks to provide a platform for honest dialogue for the country to take its destiny into its own hands by making considerations against all odds.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.