ZAMBIA: Catholic Bishops Disappointed with Political Clashes as Zambia Heads for General Polls
The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) Secretary General Rev. Father Cleophas Lungu has said that the Catholic Bishops of Zambia are disappointed with politicians who have continued to perpetuate political clashes despite committing themselves to end political violence at the meeting that was called for by the Church leaders.
“The Church is taken aback that politicians have continued to break rules of engagements set by themselves to end violence in the country. We are disappointed and surprised that these political parties raised a number of solutions to issues on how to reduce tension, hate speech and committed themselves yet they continue to perpetuate the same” Fr. Lungu noted.
Speaking when he featured on the Catholic run radio Yatsani in Lusaka Friday, May 20, Fr. Lungu said that Catholic Bishops are also disappointed by some Christians who abandon their catholic faith and Christians values when they go into politics and become violent.
ZEC has however assured the country that the church will make sure that it helps in having a free, fair and transparent election as Zambia heads towards general elections on August 11th, 2016. Fr. Lungu has since announced that the church has planned for another political meeting with presidential candidates to discuss political violence in the country.
Recently the three church bodies, the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia convened an inter party caucus at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lusaka to discuss ways to end the political violence that had caused shivers among citizens as the country builds up for the August 11, 2016 elections.
By Mwenya Mukuka, ZEC Communications Officer
