President Michael Sata saddened with Cardinal Mazombwe’s death.

President Michael Sata has described the death of the Archbishop Cardinal Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, as a huge blow to the country and the Church.
President Sata says he learnt with profound sorrow and regret, the passing of Cardinal Mazombwe 81, in Lusaka’s UTH, University Teaching Hospital yesterday.
This is contained in a statement released to Breeze News by the President Sata’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah.
Mr. Sata says he recalls the late Cardinal as a courageous and passionate revered cleric for many years, in particular as a young priest in the 1960’s, as Bishop of Chipata Diocese in the 1970’s and finally as the Archbishop of Lusaka until his retirement in 2006.
He says that most visible among some of his numerous pastoral initiatives, is the magnificent Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.
The President says the late Cardinal Mazombwe’s passion and commitment to the nation and the poor is equally worth of praise.
He says that he recalls that in the months leading to the year 2000, Cardinal Mazombwe, as Archbishop of Lusaka then, was a sizzling crusader for the cancellation of Zambia’s international debt, in the jubilee 2000 movement.
And according to a statement from Zambia Episcopal Conference availed to Breeze News by ZEC Spokesperson, Fr. Paul Samasumo, Cardinal Mazombwe will be buried next week on Tuesday at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.