ZAMBIA: Concerns of Zambia’s Church Leaders Ahead of August General Elections
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As Zambian’s look forward to the forthcoming general elections slated for August 12, Church leaders have raised issues of concern “affecting the country” calling on the government and various actors to responsibly play their role so citizens can “hold free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.”
Church leaders under the umbrella Church Mother bodies comprise of Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
In a statement issued to the press on Friday, March 19, in Zambia’s capital Lusaka, Church leaders lament about the politically motivated violence in the country whose root cause is the “polarization of the Zambian society according to regional and ethnic lines, promoted by politicians.”
According to the leaders, political violence is often committed by cadres belonging to the ruling party and those from the opposition for “self-defense,” and at times by the law enforcement officers who “use lethal weapons leading to loss of lives.”
Representatives of the three Church Mother bodies have stressed that “decisive action against any person engaging in electoral related violence must be reported to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for appropriate electoral sanctions and the police for criminal charges.”
They further appealed to political leaders to control their members and ensure they engage in “peaceful campaigns,” so as to curb impunity and minimize violence related to the electoral process.”
The Friday statement signed by the ZCCB President Bishop George C. Z. Lungu, CCZ President Bishop Sauros Phaika and EFZ Chairperson Bishop Paul Mususu highlighted further that Centre’s for mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs), should well equipped and staffed “to provide equal opportunities to all the Zambians in need of the cards.”
The Church leaders in their collective statement have bemoaned the discrimination in application of Public Order Act (POA) and Rule of Law in the country which needs to protect the lives of people and their property.
“Zambia has experienced a situation where the Public Order Act has continued to be applied selectively to curtail the ability of opposition political parties to mobilize and publicize their manifestos and to shut up other players with contrary views from those of government and the party in power,” reads excerpt of the statement adding that the “police has been mandated to enforce law and order where society fails to voluntarily regulate itself.”
“We take this opportunity to remind the nation that the aim of rule of law is to limit and check the arbitrary, oppressive, and despotic tendencies of those in power, and to ensure equal treatment and protection of all citizens,” the Church leaders disclosed.
Sharing their observation concerning application of POA they noted, “The perception that law enforcement agents had been biased and only favouring individuals from the ruling party, is now a reality that is making non ruling party members take the law into their own hands. This is equally not right.”
Highlighting unfair coverage by the press and cracking down of private independent media as areas that bedevil the country’s progress in relation to freedom of expression, the Religious leaders have “urged the private media to be balanced and factual in the presentation of information to the public,” at the same time to “exercise journalism for peace,” which means “avoiding sensational journalism and always aspiring to be truthful, fair and ethical in reporting.”
Representatives of the three Church Mother bodies have further called on the Church and the clergy to continue playing their role in advocating for social justice, stewardship of national resources and good governance in the country.
Additionally they noted, “We call upon the clergy to continue preaching peace, unity and tolerance before, during and after the elections… the Church must be non-partisan and avoid receiving gifts that have the potential to make it lose its prophetic voice. In the run up towards the elections, the Church remains committed to play a reconciliatory and peacebuilding role.”
They referenced the President’s speech for the month of February and called upon every Zambian, every political party and player, the Church and the civil society to join in assuring people of peace and unity before, during and after the 2021 general elections.
