Malawi Churches react on Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) issue

[R.B]

Leaders of Malawi's biggest Christian church movement, the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), have voiced their official stand on current "contemporary issues" affecting Malawi.
In a statement issued Thursday entitled: ‘Our Nation and Contemporary Issues Affecting Our Lives', the clergy have tackled on issue of homosexuality, the looming hunger, the Lake Malawi border dispute with neighboring Tanzania, national security and the economy.
MCC Chairperson Bishop Dr. Joseph Bvumbwe, Vice Chairperson Rev. Bossman Chitheka, General Secretary Rev. Dr. Osborne Joda-Mbewe and Executive Committee Member Rev. Andrew T. Maere have signed the statement.

Bishop Bvumbe:


Lake Malawi

MCC says it acknowledges the efforts that government has put forward to engage in meaningful dialogue with Tanzania over the recent Lake Malawi border issue.
"However, the Council stands to believe that the general understanding of all Malawians is that Lake Malawi entirely belongs to Malawi and that the Church and all Malawians will do anything possible to ensure that the Lake remains Malawi's.
"As the Church, we continue to offer moral and spiritual support to the Malawi leadership to safeguard the sovereignty, interests, and integrity of the nation. We call upon our member churches to offer prayer and form prayer groups at different levels to pray for a peaceful end to this matter"


Conclusion
The Council says as a Church body it will remain unique from all other civil society and human rights players as it puts emphasis on responsibilities.
"As the Church, we believe that rights originate from God just as God also gave responsibilities to human kind. When a right overrides responsibilities and impinges on God's authority and supremacy, then such rights are not worthy entertaining.
"As a nation, we are reminded to also put emphasis on responsibilities, both individual and communal, in order to serve the common good. The two must always go together for any democracy to be meaningful."
It concludes the statement with a verse from Deuteronomy 30: 19 – 20 which in part reads: "…Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him…"
The Council has 24 Christian Member Churches across the country and 12 para-Church organisations/affiliates.

 

[PakaJimmy]

We too in Tanzania hv got churches which spends sleepless nights to pray for the same lake.

 

[Mheshimiwa Mwl Steve]

Where were u malawians before oil & gas exploration in lake nyasa? Here in tz We have been taught that a part of lake nyasa belongs to tz since we were in primary school so what they want to tell us with their whinings?

 

[Kobello]

Kuyagusa maji ya ziwa Nyasa kwa passport?

Hiyo haiwezekani hata serikali yetu ikikubali, hata kuwe na drones zinapatrol ufukwe ...Lake Nyasa ndugu zangu wanyakyusa wataogelea na kula samaki/dagaa forever...

There's nothing that is gonna stop'em ... nawajua wanyakyusa!!

 

[NdasheneMbandu]

Even the common sense dictates that the Lake should belong to both sides.

 

[Campana]

Inanikumbusha hadithi ya msafiri aliyekutana na simba akiwa mawindoni. Msafiri alipiga magoti kumwomba Mungu amnusuru na janga la kutafunwa na simba mwenye njaa, wakati huohuo simba alipiga magoti kutoa shukrani za dhati kwa Mungu wake kwa kumpatia chakula kilichokuwa mbele yake, na kuomba kiwe baraka kwa mwili wake aendelee kumtumikia Mungu wake.

 

[pmwasyoke]

Even the common sense dictates that the Lake should belong to both sides.

Unfortunately it is not common enough!

 

[pmwasyoke]

We too in Tanzania hv got churches which spends sleepless nights to pray for the same lake.

God is getting a hard time!

 

[Capital]

Inanikumbusha hadithi ya msafiri aliyekutana na simba akiwa mawindoni. Msafiri alipiga magoti kumwomba Mungu amnusuru na janga la kutafunwa na simba mwenye njaa, wakati huohuo simba alipiga magoti kutoa shukrani za dhati kwa Mungu wake kwa kumpatia chakula kilichokuwa mbele yake, na kuomba kiwe baraka kwa mwili wake aendelee kumtumikia Mungu wake.

Haahaa! we ni mkaree!

 

[Ndahani]

Hiyo nayo ni interest ya kanisa? Kuamua nani apate nini bila kujua haki yote ikoje? Mbona kazi ipo!

 

[Zakumi]

Hawa watu wapumbavu sana. Hivi wanafikiri wakichukua ziwa watakayemsumbua ni mzaramo, mchagga, au mhaya? Watamsumbua watu wanaoishi kando ya ziwa ambao ni ndugu zao wa damu na kilugha.

 

[LINCOLINMTZA]

We too in Tanzania hv got churches which spends sleepless nights to pray for the same lake.

For that reason, we do not have to argue with them physically.

 

[Makoye Matale]

How about the Moslems' statement in Malawi, what is their standing on these issues?

 

[sosoliso]

“However, the Council stands to believe that the general understanding of all Malawians is that Lake Malawi entirely belongs to Malawi and that the Church and all Malawians will do anything possible to ensure that the Lake remains Malawi’s.
.

Lake Malawi entirely belongs to Malawi..? Dats definately selfishness comin out from God's servants..

 

[Jay One]

Hawa tutawatumia UAMSHO.... watachoma...though sisapoti but for national interest ...

Wanachezea JWTZ hawa...

 

[Otorong'ong'o]

Inanikumbusha hadithi ya msafiri aliyekutana na simba akiwa mawindoni. Msafiri alipiga magoti kumwomba Mungu amnusuru na janga la kutafunwa na simba mwenye njaa, wakati huohuo simba alipiga magoti kutoa shukrani za dhati kwa Mungu wake kwa kumpatia chakula kilichokuwa mbele yake, na kuomba kiwe baraka kwa mwili wake aendelee kumtumikia Mungu wake.

I like this...

 

[Kifarutz]

Wamalawi sijui wameumbwaje, they cant even see a simple logic. Hebu tujikumbushe, ni nchi gani duniani ambapo kuna mpaka aina ya huu unaodaiwa na wamalawi ambapo nchi fulani hairuhusiwi kugusa maji yapakanayo na nchi hiyo?

 

[maswitule]

Leaders of Malawi’s biggest Christian church movement, the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), have voiced their official stand on current “contemporary issues” affecting Malawi.
In a statement issued Thursday entitled: ‘Our Nation and Contemporary Issues Affecting Our Lives’, the clergy have tackled on issue of homosexuality, the looming hunger, the Lake Malawi border dispute with neighboring Tanzania, national security and the economy.
MCC Chairperson Bishop Dr. Joseph Bvumbwe, Vice Chairperson Rev. Bossman Chitheka, General Secretary Rev. Dr. Osborne Joda-Mbewe and Executive Committee Member Rev. Andrew T. Maere have signed the statement.

Bishop Bvumbe:


Lake Malawi

MCC says it acknowledges the efforts that government has put forward to engage in meaningful dialogue with Tanzania over the recent Lake Malawi border issue.
“However, the Council stands to believe that the general understanding of all Malawians is that Lake Malawi entirely belongs to Malawi and that the Church and all Malawians will do anything possible to ensure that the Lake remains Malawi’s.
“As the Church, we continue to offer moral and spiritual support to the Malawi leadership to safeguard the sovereignty, interests, and integrity of the nation. We call upon our member churches to offer prayer and form prayer groups at different levels to pray for a peaceful end to this matter”


Conclusion
The Council says as a Church body it will remain unique from all other civil society and human rights players as it puts emphasis on responsibilities.
“As the Church, we believe that rights originate from God just as God also gave responsibilities to human kind. When a right overrides responsibilities and impinges on God’s authority and supremacy, then such rights are not worthy entertaining.
“As a nation, we are reminded to also put emphasis on responsibilities, both individual and communal, in order to serve the common good. The two must always go together for any democracy to be meaningful.”
It concludes the statement with a verse from Deuteronomy 30: 19 – 20 which in part reads: “…Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him…”
The Council has 24 Christian Member Churches across the country and 12 para-Church organisations/affiliates.

You Malawians, it is more of the advantage for the lake to belong to Tanzania and Malawi than if it could only belong to Malawi, Try to imagine how can you control water waves along the shore? remember why Banda the former Mzee went silent in the late 1970s Mwalimu Nyerere told him that " any wave hinting Tanzania soil/land will have to be paid, how much will you be able to pay? Remember even the rivers feeding the lake comes from Tanzania. It is sad that church people are becoming greed, I could no to expect church people to come up with such statement. The lake will continue to belong to us all and that is what used to be even prior to coming of the whites who made the boarders.

 

[Webabu]

Makanisa kila sehemu ni sehemu ya uchochezi.Wanaingilia siasa za nchi na wenzao wanataka wasiseme neno.
Tanzania nako wakiona kusema Lake Malawi si sehemu ya Tanzania ndio maslahi ya kanisa basi hawatasita kufanya hivyo.

 

[steveachi]

Do you think GOD is on your side ONLY, He is ALWAYS with us Tanzanians and he knows what we are PRAYING for him TOO