The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has described the insistence by the Church to both lead and facilitate the National Dialogue process as a more divisive route and has missed a chance to reconcile the two competing positions.
YALI Governance Advisor, Isaac Mwanza, said said it is unfortunate that the Church has decided to impute those who have objected to the solo move by the church as not credible while calling those who have endorsed their solo move as credible stakeholders.
“We know those who have called for a joint leadership and facilitation of the national dialogue, whom the Church imputes as non-credible includes His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu, many political parties that are members of ZCID, some civil society organizations who believe in united efforts of the Church and ZCID at a time when the national dialogue is itself proving divisive,” he said.
Mr. Mwanza said those whom the Church consider as credible for supporting the Church’s solo position of leading and facilitating the dialogue include some CSOs and UPND who believe the dialogue is about addressing the breakdown in the rule of law and denial of people’s fundamental rights, among other things.
“It is unfortunate that the Church has been persuaded to take the route of the solo leadership and facilitation process premised on an imaginary breakdown of the rule of law and denial of fundamental rights which ranks a priority on those whom the Church calls credible stakeholders,” he said.
Mr. Mwanza said the route taken by the Church will not yield any progress as it has the potential of being rejected by political parties who constitute ZCID.
“We wonder how the church-led and facilitated dialogue can be sustained in the absence of the political leadership from political parties in ZCID,” he said.
Last week President Lungu criticised the decision of the church not to embrace ZCID by preferring to go alone with the the National Dialogue while UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema welcomed the move and said UPND wants to discuss the breakdown in the rule of law in the country.
Agreed. The church probably don’t even put prayers first. They are more known to mingle in political stories than serve the load himself.
Mercenaries
Thanks
BB2014,2016
The Church interest in supporting the UPND position that only them should lead is because HH wants dialogue not focused on reforms. He has other priority areas to talk of his failed petition under what he calls denial of fundemental rights, he wants to talk of his incarceration under the breakdown of rule of law and he knows that is not an agenda for political parties in ZCID but I suspect ECL is at the point breaking to give in to HH demands. Then HH will have achieved his ego and his foriegn backers
The Church are parroting regime change with HH but more so, they want money to themselves. Men of God must not be seeking such prominence on political platforms. Their prominence must come from being on the pulpit. But what else do u expect HH money to do to such men. Money is sexy no matter who is involved
This whole talk of dialogue is a sheer waste of time and money making venture. President Lungu must close this chapter or it will continue distracting him and making appear not in control of the country.
Ba church mother bodies naimwe, yours is a non starter just sowing seeds of confusion in the country in an effort to get all the credit for what has happened so far. What is wrong with you chairing the dialogue? What have you got to hide ba makaka imwe? Insoni sha miikata for failing to reconcile the country since 2016 because of your bias. You are the same as the church in the Rwanda genocide.
@Sharon, your reasoning is spot on! The promince of these men should be seen from the pulpit, and the message of reconciliation must be heard in the church, with love. The three mother bodies have lost relevance because of partisan stance taken, by priotizing allowances more than achieving intended objective.
yesterday I said, with ba Paul Mususu in the team, much won’t be achieved, He’s a staunch supporter of the UPND Supreme leader.
The Church has missed a big opportunity to make a difference because they are driven by greedy; they see money into the dialogue instead of reconciliation. It appears HH has oiled the church nicely, way he had bankrolled the Grand Collision.
UPND agenda on the dialogue is very narrow and different from the agenda of other politic parties. But it is unthinkable the entire Church mother bodies can fall for an agenda. Shame on our church leaders. Leave the politics to us and take up the calling to spread the gospel.
I stand with YALI on this matter. The church is the most divisive instruments in this dialogue process. The Bible has been misinterpreted by our churches to justify engagement in modern day politics. What our Bishops should be asking themselves is what, what would have Jesus done if asked by the Masonry Chief and that man in State House to mediate in their political battles or between Herald and Pilate?
Commonwealth involvement was also interrupted. Certain stakeholders did not consider outside intervention as critical for progress. That is normal because in political dialogue domestic solution must precede international solution. International action complements domestic initiatives under normal conditions. At the domestic level, the Church and the CIPD are both credible facilitators. It now depends on the political parties to agree on the way forward. Excluding CIPD in order to appease Church leaders is wrong. The Church needs to collaborate with the CIPD and devise an acceptable win-win formula. In the first place, Church values must remain universal while at the same time accepting right and practical applications. There is no need for rigid. Stage by stage.
Who does not believe that the Church mother bodies represent UPND?. You recall how former Lusaka AchBishop Telesphore Mpundu held opposition rallies at Kapingila House and mobilised propoaganda against Edgar Lungu the President as a Dictator to the international community and through the radio Vatican in Rome. When HH insists on the Church he had been assured. for HH this is about reconciliation which the church is mandated to do as their calling and not recommendations of the Commonwealth which are long term. He has already complained that 2021 was too far and that Lungu must be removed immediatly
This is the sad moment and Lungu must be regretting for asking ZCID to find space for the Church in this national dialogue process. How surely does the invited person take over and say we shall both lead and facilitate while you who invited us will be consulted like any ordinary attendee. This is lacking in wisdom by our men of god. The ideal situation was for these two institutions to jointly lead and facilitate the dialogue process. The church should recognise its duty of politicians to come up with good and bad laws. The problem is we have mixed the business of the Church and politics in Zambia. Lungu should not even have invited them to discuss reforms. The church has no business with law reforms
The Church speaks truth. Those on the side of Lungu wanting both the Church and ZCID are not credible but those on side of Hichilema who wants the church to lead are credible stakeholders. We need to discuss failures of Lungu’s governance and abuse of our rights to be heard. Don’t bring in ZCID who shall not like this agenda. UPND is a bigger party at the moment and what we say will be taken by Lungu. Watch the space. He won’t run away from dialogue led and facilitated by the Church only
What has attracted the Church to the masonry agenda? Is it money or bad influence. I am Catholic but I think our Bishops are abusing the name of the Church in this dialogue process. From the look of things, the Bishops don’t have the majority of our support as ordinary members on the route they have taken. Opportunism is very dangerous.
It is the narrow agenda of failing to address the real issues; CONSTITUTION, ELECTORAL REFORMS,PUBLIC ORDER ACT that will allieneate further some political leaders from the masses and keep them forever in opposition!! 2021 is around the corner and PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A BETTER ELECTION in 2021,less violence,less restrictions on political competitors and more transparency. This is NOT the time for talking long forgotten and lost causes that have valid foundations and connections with the broad spectrum of masses. YES WE NEED IMPROVEMENTS IN LAW AND ORDER BUT IF WE DON’T RECTIFY THE KEY GOVERNANCE ISSUES AS STATED ABOVE, WE SHALL FOREVER BE DEALING WITH SYMPTOMS!!
Lungu understands this dialogue is about grilling him on why petition was not heard, why HH was incarcerated; why our members across the country continue to be imprisoned. We laid this bare before the church and they understand ZCID is not buying into such an agenda. We can’t have dialogue without discussing this. Lungu will bulge to our demands. We biggest opposition party and we shall defend the Church. I don’t care about *****s like Mwanza
Lungu and PF won’t run away from this church-led Dialogue. He shall attend with or without ZCID. The Church will find a way to bring him to the table. Keep watching and then you will see who is in control of governance
Bring in the SDA Church to chair the dialogue. At least they are not push overs and greedy for money and prominence
UPND and the church does not know what they want from this dialogue. President Lungu shouldn’t show the weakness we seeing on directing the process. For Heavens Sake, he is President of the Republic and not just PF, he needs to put this whole sham process to an end, ask his justice minister to proceed and table the Bills and if UPND wants to shun changing laws, let them do so. He is looking weak by failing to go the decisive route. forget the Church and forget ZCID and move on
This whole thing rests on President Lungu. Let him call off this dialogue so the nation should focus on better things. As it stands, this national dialogue talk makes it appear like there is too much confusion in Zambia, breakdown of law and order and injustice.
Reforms are a preserve of politicians and not the Church. This whole circus Zambia is having is because the church has not identified its correct position and distinguished it.
HH must be a very influential and noble politician.Just imagine that all the three church mother bodies support him and not the president.
Edgar Lungu has been declaring national day of prayers left ,right and center .All that was not enough to gain their support.
I guess the tower of babel (National prayer house) that he is building has put them off.
NOW I KNOW THE DEVIL……..NOW WE EVEN DEMEANING THE CHURCH……ZAMBIA IS FINISHED….
The issues started before, during campaigns, and after elections. In all this the church’s was very vivid, trying very much to bring peace and harmony. Where was the ZCID? Commonwealth came to team up with the CHURCH mother bodies, all the way from UK, to secure the release of innocently arrested HH on trumped up case. Where was zcid during all this time for it to just surface because of the handouts from Edgar Chagwa Lungu, so that together with the parties that have no representation in the parley they can treat us to more hardships? Why can’t we Zambians, Christians we are, let the Church Mother Bodies to which we belong handle the dialogue, for this is symbol of peace. We Zambians, from all walks of life, demand that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu must oblige with the direction the…