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Zambia’s Bishops appeal to country’s history of peace ahead of elections
As Zambians prepare to vote in the 13 August Presidential and General Elections, the Catholic Bishops have issued a Pastoral Statement urging violence-free, peaceful and civil electoral campaigns and elections.
Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.
Zambia is one of the few African countries not to have experienced civil war since its independence in 1964. It has also had peaceful transfers of power from one political party to another. The Electoral Commission of Zambia has confirmed 12 candidates for the country’s presidential election scheduled for 13 August.
Some of the approved candidates include incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) leader Brian Mundubile, Citizens First president Harry Kalaba and Socialist Party president Fred M’membe.
Peace is not the absence of conflict
“Zambia has built its identity. since independence, on peace. We, as a people, are blessed to have been spared from civil wars and mass bloodshed that have scarred so many of our neighbours. That peace has not been an accident; it was built, generation after generation, by ordinary Zambians choosing dialogue over confrontation and it remains, even now, fragile enough to be lost,” reads part of the Bishops’ Pastoral Statement.
The Bishops say, “Peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the fruit of justice, mutual respect, and solidarity among citizens. Every act of political violence diminishes the dignity of the human person, wounds the common good and undermines the trust upon which democratic society depends.
The Zambian prelates explicitly call for violence-free campaigns and elections.
“We wish to be unambiguous on the issue of violence, because ambiguity may cost lives. No political office, no electoral victory, and no grievance, political or otherwise, can ever justify aggression, intimidation, or the shedding of blood. Retaliation to violence must never be an option. Political violence whether committed in the heat of the moment or planned in advance, must not be tolerated under any circumstances, by anyone, on any side.”
Inflammatory social media posts
(Illustration photo – Social media) (AFP or licensors)
The Bishops also had a word for financiers of violence and social media Political Trolls who post inflammatory stories solely to provoke arguments and incite hatred.
“This call extends beyond those who throw the stone or strike the blow. We appeal also to those who incite, finance, or excuse violence from a distance … anyone who uses social media to spread hatred, fabricated claims, or footage designed to provoke rather than inform.”
“Silence or tacit approval in the face of one’s own supporters’ violence is itself a form of support for the violence. And we ask every leader of every political party to say so plainly to their own ranks. before such conduct is dismissed as mere rhetoric,” say the Zambian Bishops in a Statement signed the prelates of Zambia in active ministry.
The Bishops further appeal to Zambia’s young people and urge them not to be turned into instruments of violence.
The Bishops’ Pastoral Statement concludes with the famous prayer of Saint Francis: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…’
Government welcomes Bishops’ message
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema
Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on Thursday welcomed the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Statement, particularly its unequivocal rejection and condemnation of political violence, intimidation and hatred.
In a Press Statement, the Zambian President’s Chief Communication Specialist, Mr Clayson Hamasaka said the Bishops’ Pastoral Statement was fully aligned with the Head of State’s longstanding call for peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
“The President agrees that Zambia must never return to the dark days of political violence, cadreism and fear. Government remains firmly committed to safeguarding peace and ensuring that every eligible Zambian is free to campaign and vote without intimidation. The Head of State is confident that the forthcoming General Election will be conducted in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner,” Mr Hamasaka said.
He added, “The President therefore calls upon all political parties, candidates and their supporters to reject violence in all its forms, uphold the rule of law, and treat one another with dignity and respect throughout the electoral process.”
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