Banda tells politicians to keep campaigns out of worship spaces

Archbishop Dr Alick Banda has issued one of the clearest election-year boundaries yet, stating that Catholic churches and gatherings must not be used as platforms for political campaigning ahead of the August general elections.

Speaking during a Catholic Men’s Organisation annual meeting, the Archbishop emphasised that while every citizen has the constitutional right to belong to a political party, houses of worship are not venues for partisan mobilisation. He said churches are sacred spaces meant for prayer, reflection, and unity, not political endorsement or campaign messaging.

His statement arrives as the political season intensifies.

With the August polls approaching, public appearances by political leaders have increased across the country. Traditional ceremonies, community events and church gatherings have drawn growing political presence. The Archbishop’s intervention establishes a clear institutional position: political participation is legitimate, but campaign activity must remain outside religious platforms.

He was deliberate in drawing the distinction.

Membership in a political party is a constitutional right. Using the pulpit as a campaign podium is not.

The Catholic Church occupies a significant moral and social position in Zambia. Its congregations span provinces, demographics and political affiliations. Maintaining neutrality, the Archbishop indicated, is essential to preserving unity among worshippers who may differ sharply in political allegiance.

Religious spaces, he stressed, must not become arenas where partisan competition fractures fellowship.

The warning also reflects a wider concern that as campaign rhetoric intensifies, sacred spaces can become vulnerable to subtle political messaging. Introductions of candidates during church services, speeches that drift into policy advocacy, and the circulation of campaign narratives during religious events all risk blurring institutional lines.

The Church’s position is preventive rather than reactive.

Once worship spaces become identified with political camps, neutrality erodes quickly. Congregants who hold different political views may begin to perceive bias where none was intended. Clergy risk being pressured to align publicly. Spiritual guidance becomes entangled in electoral rivalry.

The Archbishop’s remarks also reinforce the broader principle that democratic competition requires boundaries. Political parties have ample opportunity to market manifestos through rallies, media engagements and community meetings. The Church does not deny that right. It insists only that its sanctuaries remain separate.

That separation serves both democracy and faith.

Democracy benefits when institutions outside formal politics retain independence and moral credibility. Faith communities retain authority when they avoid alignment with transient political battles. In election years, this institutional clarity becomes especially important.

The Archbishop did not direct his remarks at any specific party. His statement applied across the political spectrum. The emphasis was on conduct, not affiliation.

His position aligns with a longstanding approach within sections of Zambia’s faith community that have historically resisted formal political endorsement. At the same time, the Church has not withdrawn from civic life. It continues to speak on governance, justice, and ethical leadership. The distinction lies in avoiding partisan mobilisation from the altar.

That line is now publicly drawn.

The August elections will test institutional discipline across multiple sectors. Political actors, eager to reach wide audiences, will continue seeking visibility in diverse settings. Religious gatherings offer access to large congregations. The Church’s directive signals that such access does not equate to endorsement.

As campaign momentum builds, the responsibility now shifts to political leaders and party structures. Respecting the boundary is not merely procedural. It is foundational to preserving trust within congregations that reflect Zambia’s political diversity.

Archbishop Banda’s intervention adds structure to the election climate. It affirms that while citizens may campaign, contest and debate, they must do so in appropriate spaces.

Churches, he has made clear, are not campaign arenas.