The President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), Archbishop Ignatius Chama, has voiced deep concern over rising “division and anger” in the country, warning that Zambia is drifting away from the unity that once defined it.
Speaking on November 28 at a national prayer rally held at Pope’s Square under the OASIS-FORUM coalition of faith-based and civil society groups, the Archbishop said many Zambians can already sense that “something is wrong in the way we are living as a nation.”
He cautioned that growing polarization—especially around the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7—risks distancing citizens from God’s love and weakening social cohesion. “We have become a divided nation over matters that should unite us,” he said.
Archbishop Chama contrasted the current climate with the joyful unity experienced during St. John Paul II’s historic 1989 visit to Zambia, recalling how the nation stood “united in mind and soul” under the motto One Zambia, One Nation. Today, he noted, Zambians return to the same grounds “with heavy hearts.”
Faith leaders under OASIS-FORUM have strongly opposed Bill No. 7, which seeks major changes to the National Assembly and local government structures. In a joint July 11 letter, the ZCCB, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) called for the bill’s complete withdrawal, arguing that the process behind it was “unconstitutional” and lacked public legitimacy. Their stance was reinforced by a June 27 Constitutional Court judgment declaring the bill’s enactment process invalid.
During the prayer rally, Archbishop Chama urged national leaders to prioritize justice, inclusivity, and constitutional integrity, expressing hope for the scheduled dialogue later that day between President Hakainde Hichilema and OASIS-FORUM representatives.
“Let our prayer be that the laws we give ourselves will promote a people who do justice, who love goodness, and who walk humbly with their God,” he said, calling on all Zambians to pray for fruitful dialogue and a renewed commitment to unity and peace.
Credit: aciafrica
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