Lusaka, 15 November, 2025 / 8:25 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of the Zambia Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCCB) have condemned the violence that disrupted President Hakainde Hichilema’s address at Chiwempala Market in Chingola, and expressed alarm over calls for the return of factional and loyalist network politics by ruling party officials.
In a press statement issued Thursday, November 13, ZCCB members say the recent developments “disturb the peace and moral fabric” of the nation and pose a threat to Zambia’s long-standing tradition of dialogue and mutual respect.
“We have noted with sadness the circulating video showing President Hakainde Hichilema being forced to abandon his address after some angry small-scale miners began throwing stones,” the Catholic Bishops say.
Raising alarm over a return of political thuggery and party militancy to the Southern African nation, ZCCB members further say, “Equally disturbing is another video in which a United Party for National Development (UPND) official declares the return of cadreism, warning that the ruling party will not remain passive.”
They further condemn all forms of violence and provocation, insisting that “no grievance, political or otherwise, should ever justify aggression or hostility.”
