LEVY HOLDS PRIVATE TALKS WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI

By Amos Malupenga in Rome, Italy

President Mwanawasa yesterday held private talks with Pope Benedict the XVI at the Vatican City.

And President Mwanawasa said Zambians do not engage in irrigation farming because they think there is a difference between rain and water.

President Mwanawasa, who was given the Holy Sea ceremonial reception, separately met the Pope and his second in command - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, for one hour.

President Mwanawasa beamed with a smile as he introduced, to Pope Benedict, members of his entourage. The members included his wife Maureen, foreign affairs minister Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha, information minister Mutale Nalumango, intelligence chief Regis Phiri, permanent secretary at Cabinet Office Oliver Kalabo and Zambia’s Ambassador to Italy Lucy Mungoma, among others.

As he walked side by side with the Pope back into the inner room, President Mwanawasa was heard telling the Pope that it was a great pleasure for him to have met and shared views with him.

Earlier, President Mwanawasa privately met with the Pope for about 20 minutes before they proceeded into another room for a photo session. After that, President Mwanawasa proceeded to meet with Cardinal Sodano for about 10 minutes before he was ceremoniously escorted to his motorcade.

President Mwanawasa, after lunch, left Rome for London enroute to Washington in the United States. He will be in Washington until June 24.

And delivering the keynote address to the 128th session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Council of Ministers of Agriculture Conference at the FAO headquarters in Rome yesterday, President Mwanawasa said there was an urgent need to encourage irrigation farming seriously. He said in this regard, his government needed assistance from FAO and other United Nations specialised agencies in order to change the mindset of the people that believe they can only engage in farming when there is adequate rainfall.

“For example, Zambia has abundant water resources that are not used to irrigate crops,” President Mwanawasa said. “In fact, I am told that 40 per cent of the waters in Southern Africa are from Zambia but we just allow this water to run into oceans and seas unutilised. Consequently, rain fed crops often fail when scanty rainfall is experienced. In other words, our people still believe there is a difference between water and rain and therefore fail to utilise abundant water resources to sustain their livelihoods.”

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