AFRICANEWS
ZAMBIAChurch and the stateTOPIC: Politicsby Majule Makani (826 words)
The long standing question on how far the church can indulge in politics in Zambia has yet been raised and this time it is threatening to divide the very core of the church. The formation of a pressure group to ensure only morally upright leaders enter politics, by a fiery evangelist Dr Nevers Mumba has invited sharp and mixed reactions from within church members. Dr Mumba, a charismatic preacher who runs Victory Ministries International early September formed what he refers to as a movement, the National Christian Coalition (NCC) insisting its mandate is to groom and encourage only morally upright people to enter politics. Zambia, which was declared a Christian nation six years ago by President Frederick Chiluba, a born again Christian has not lived up to its declaration, according to Pastor Mumba. Most government ministers and leaders have been involved in immoral adulterous activities while some have been dismissed from office for corruption. Dr Mumba at the inception of the movement said Zambia could not wait for the year 2000 (elections will be held in 2001) to groom a leader to succeed Mr Chiluba whose two terms in office will come to an end. The clergy who has hitherto concentrated in preaching salvation recently changed his tone of sermons by attacking politicians accusing them of being corrupt and immoral. Last August in Namibia, Windhoek where he opened an international conference for his victory Ministries, he took up a Pan-Africanist stance calling for Africans to liberate themselves and lashed out at African Leaders who he said have contributed to the waste of the continent because of their greed. On arrival from Namibia, he declared that it was time the church came out and produced a leader to lead Zambia into the 21st century. Most were not surprised when he announced the formation of the National Christian Coalition Movement but he drew reactions from government and other church leaders who urged him to openly state his organisation was a political party and map out its agenda. Zambia's vice president, Brigadier-general Godfrey Miyanda, himself a born again Christian and who has often been invited to Dr Mumba's fora immediately declared, the movement was a political party. The vice president urged Dr Mumba to resign his pastoral duties and warned him that his political ambitions could be shattered if he did not understand the message from God. The Evangelist Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), the body under which Dr Mumba's Victory Ministries falls was non too happy with the new movement. EFZ executive director Rev Thomas Lumba immediately said Dr Mumba would be dropped from the church delegation brokering dialogue between the government and opposition parties. Rev Lumba speaking after consulting the 84 strong denominational members around the country, wondered why Mumba could not encourage God fearing people to run for local government or parliament from a church pulpit. The Christian Council Of Zambia (CCZ) welcomed the formation of the NCC with reservation pointing out that clergymen should first resign their positions if they got involved in partisan politics. The CCZ felt it was morally wrong for any clergyman to join partiisan politics and still continue to minister to people because church members belonged to diverse political parties and ideologies. But a leading Roman Catholic priest Father Peter Henriot said the christian church had a right to dabble in politics and challenge government policies. He said just as Jesus Christ and biblicall prophets constantly challenged the kings and rulers of their times, the church also had a right to question those in authority. The Catholic church has often come under attack from government because it often played a major role in bringing about multi-partyism to Zambia in 1991. Minister incharge of religious desk at State House, Rev Peter Chintala however observed that Zambia was not a theocracy but a democracy and the relationship between the church and the state should be based on consultation and not directives from priests and modern prophets. He insisted the role of the church was to reach out to the people, pray for peace and for the government. Dr Mumba who appered prepared for the reactions pointed out that there should be no misunderstandings over the matter because his movement was not a political party. He said the NCC could only be transformed into a political party if the need to do so arose but Zambia already has too many political parties (35) to warrant formation of another one. He lamented that the major problem Zambia was facing was that politicians took power as honey instead of public service. "The honey politicians will fight to remain in power even after they've run out of ideas," he said. He added that time would tell whether the NCC should turn into a political party. Indeed, Zambia people are watching to see which direction the charismatic leader's movement will take. But whatever direction it does take, the question still remains- how far can the church get involved in politics.
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