“Something is wrong in the way we are living”: President of Zambia Catholic Bishops’ Conference on State of Nation

He further lamented, “The good story we are supposed to tell to the next generation is slowly becoming a wall to build for our failure to act in the way that unifies us as a nation.” 

Archbishop Chama recalled the unity and joy that marked the Holy Father’s 1989 Apostolic Visit to Zambia, contrasting that moment with the current mood in the Southern African nation.

“We gather in this place of happy memories for us who were there when the Pope, now St. John Paul II, visited Zambia and celebrated Mass in these very grounds where we are. We had come from all parts of Zambia in the joy of having a Pope visiting us for the first time in the history of our country. Everyone had a good story to tell and share with others,” he recalled.

The Catholic Archbishop noted that, at the time, Zambians were “united in mind and soul to receive the Pope as a country. Indeed, our motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ was a pillar of our preparations and reception of the Pope.”

“Today, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come back to this place, we come with heavy hearts. We come with a deep sense of feelings that God may be giving us,” the Local Ordinary of Kasama Archdiocese since January 2012 said.

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Members of the OASIS-FORUM, which brings together faith leaders and civil society organizations in Zambia, had gathered at Pope’s Square to pray over concerns related to the proposed constitutional amendment.

Earlier, in a July 11  letter addressed to the Secretary to the Cabinet, Zambia’s church leaders, including representatives of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) jointly called for the withdrawal of the amendment “in its entirety.”

In their collective letter, the church leaders questioned the process used to enact the Bill, saying it lacked legitimacy and that it is “unconstitutional.”

The church leaders explained that their position is based not only on the law but also on “the spirit of justice, inclusivity, and constitutional integrity.”

“We reaffirm our position: Bill 7 must be withdrawn in its entirety,” the CCZ, EFZ, and ZCCB leaders said, referring to the June 27 Constitutional Court ruling, which declared the process used to enact Bill 7 unconstitutional.

The contentious Bill proposes significant changes to the Constitution of Zambia, primarily focusing on the composition and electoral system of the National Assembly and local government structures.

Key changes include increasing the number of constituency-based seats, introducing a mixed-member proportional representation system, and revising provisions related to by-elections and the term of Parliament.

Meanwhile, in his November 28 reflection during the prayer rally on national dialogue, ZCCB President expressed hope that the scheduled dialogue meeting between the OASIS FORUM and President Hakainde Hichilema, scheduled for later that afternoon, would yield positive results.

He said, “Let it be our national prayer that the dialogue that will take place in the afternoon will be inspired by the desire of every Zambian, that the laws we as people give ourselves, not given by others, will be for the promotion of a people who do justice, who love goodness, and who walk humbly with their God.”

“Dear all Zambians, wherever you are, take a moment and pray for the success of the outcome of the dialogue meeting between the head of state and Oasis Forum,” Archbishop Kasama appealed.

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Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.