Zambians stripped of freedoms – Catholic Church
By Thandizo Banda
THE Catholic Church says Zambians are no longer enjoying their constitutional freedoms and liberty because they have been taken away.
Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) president Archbishop Ignatius Chama of Kasama warned that the country was slowly inviting trouble and that the freedoms being stripped from citizens could explode into violence.
He said this on Tuesday when he delivered a blistering homily at the opening Mass of the ZCCB July 2026 Plenary in Lusaka weeks before Zambians vote to choose leaders for the next five years.
“Looking at what is so far going on, there is a sense of fear in most of us… The freedoms and liberties that have been taken away from the citizens are creating a foundation that will grow into violence and loss of what we have built as a country,” Archbishop Chama said.
“The plenary comes just before a crucial task for all Zambians to elect political leaders who will govern us for the next five years, who will take the nation to either prosperity or to doom.”
He was preaching to a packed congregation of bishops, priests and the laity.
The prelate cast a gloomy picture of the current political climate.
Using the day’s reading from Isaiah 7:1-9, Archbishop Chama compared Zambia to the ancient Kingdom of Judah under siege.
He urged citizens particularly politicians to drop political games and trust God.
“If you do not stand by me, you will not stand at all,” Archbishop Chama quoted the Lord’s warning to the King of Judah.
He said the Church should not be dragged into partisan politics, but should instead act as prophets.
“Now is not the time to join political bandwagons, but time to challenge the nation to convert and do what is right and just as a people who believe that a just God will uphold our nation if we all stand by him,” he declared.
“If we as leaders of the Church… fail to bring the people to this trust in God… we will fail the test of being who we are, prophets among our people.”
Archbishop Chama ended with a prayer that God would uphold the country as we journey towards electing worthy leaders
The ZCCB July 2026 Plenary brings together all Catholic Bishops in Zambia to chart the Church’s position on issues affecting both the Church and the nation ahead of the August vote.
