The Most Rev. Jacob Erasto Chimeledya was enthroned on Saturday as the new primate of the Church of Tanzania. Bella Zulu reports that 3,000 people were present, including the Most Rev. Justin Welby the Archbishop of Canterbury. She writes:
Archbishop Chimeledya did not waste this opportunity to speak to the country’s political leaders. He urged the government to take action against those guilty of “hate speech” especially the traditional media and those who publish comments online. With particular reference to the relationship between Muslims and Christians he asked Tanzanians to not just tolerate one another, but respect each other. “We only tolerate an enemy, not our fellow citizens,” he said.
The Archbishop also announced a plan by the Anglican Church of Tanzania to begin a new micro-finance bank that will support small business enterprises in the country, and he appealed to the government to support the Church in its efforts to address people’s needs. During the service President Kikwete did commit his support to the Church’s many programmes throughout its dioceses.
This co-operation between Church and State was welcomed by Bishop of the Diocese of the Rift Valley the Rt Revd John Lupaa, as was Archbishop Welby’s presence in Tanzania—his first official Anglican Communion engagement as Archbishop of Canterbury.