MTWARA: AS Christians in Tanzania on Monday joined others across the World to celebrate Christmas, to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, a Pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Mtwara Parish Daudi Nalima has urged leaders to ensure that the coming local government elections are free and fair for sustainable peace in the country.
The Priest made the call here during a Christmas mass held at the church. He said Tanzania is a model for peace and political stability thus leaders and the rest of Tanzanians should uphold peace by ensuring fairness during elections.
"I call upon our leaders to ensure that the coming elections are conducted fairly, Tanzania is a model of peace for other regions and we should continue embracing the title by providing moral and political leadership to the region," he said.
He said if leaders abide by laws, exercise fairness, freedom and solidity in elections they will reap and eat the good of the nation. "The Bible tells us (Isaiah 1:19) if you are willing and obedient; you shall eat the good of the land, likewise to our leaders if they obey, exercise fairness, Tanzanians will eat the good things of our land," he said.
On the other hand, Pastor Nalima asked Christians and the rest of Tanzanians to work hard come next year 2024 to earn a living and live a better life. He said the future belongs to those working hard, especially in the new era.
He said Christians and the rest have the obligation to work hard by focusing and engaging in productive activities such as farming and livestock keeping.
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Speaking after the mass, worshipers urged church leaders to train Christians especially youths, on the need to work hard and stop depending on government employment.
"My sincere call goes to our religious leaders, they should start training worshipers, especially youths who need to work hard and depend on themselves, most youths when they finish up schools, they wait to be employed, the situation that holds back their development and that for the nation," said Neema Nkyo, a worshiper at the church.
She said if the church leaders preach, organise training and insist on the need for the people to work, they would encourage many youths to stop being dependent and instead see the need to engage in self-employed jobs such as farming, keeping livestock to earn a living.
"Many people, especially youths, believe that engaging in agricultural activities are work for the failures this is because they (youths) are not educated spiritually," said Faraja John.
