The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, has expressed his delight that the World Bank is to take steps that could see up to 80% of Mozambique's debt being written off.

Reacting to the World Bank announcement this week, the Archbishop said he had been calling for such steps to be taken since his enthronement a year ago, and he applauded the World Bank for a decision which he described as very promising.

The writing off Mozambique's debt will unquestionably result in the country being able to lift itself from the cycle of poverty into which it has been locked for decades.

"However, there are still many other countries in Africa and elsewhere whose people are living in abject poverty, largely as a result of debts incurred by their governments in the past. I therefore make a sincere and urgent plea for steps to be taken by international financial institutions and other relevant organisations to provide similar relief as has been announced for Mozambique. If this happens, we will begin to see the reality of economic growth on the one continent with, as yet, vast untapped potential which could be the springboard of a world economic renaissance," Archbishop Ndungane said.