AN ALARMIST VIEW FAR REMOVED FROM REALITY: WHY ARCHBISHOP CHAMA’S PANIC RUBBISHES ZAMBIAN RESILIENCE
Archbishop Ignatius Chama’s recent homily, in which he claimed that Zambians are trembling in fear like the ancient Kingdom of Judah, is a textbook example of political alarmism.
By painting a picture of a nation on the brink of total collapse and widespread terror, the President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has chosen sensationalist rhetoric over sober spiritual and moral guidance. This exaggerated narrative does a profound disservice to the peace-loving nature of the Zambian people and ignores the country’s long, proud history of stable democratic transitions.
To suggest that citizens are living in paralyzing fear because of the forthcoming elections is a gross distortion of reality. Every election cycle brings intense political competition and heightened debates, which are natural signs of a vibrant democracy rather than a prelude to doom.
By magnifying isolated, albeit tragic, incidents of local violence into a blanket statement about national panic, Archbishop Chama is inadvertently manufacturing the very fear he claims to oppose.
Zambians are not cowering in the shadows; they are engaging in the democratic process with the same resilience and maturity that have always defined this great nation.
This sudden, hyper-vigilant stance from the Catholic clergy also carries a glaring whiff of selective amnesia. Where was this fiery prophetic voice when the Zambian people were subjected to actual state-sponsored terror under the Patriotic Front (PF) regime?
The Archbishop speaks loudly today, yet the Catholic Church remained conspicuously silent when citizens lived through the horror of the mysterious chemical gassing attacks that plagued communities, schools, and homes under the PF.
To stay silent during a period of genuine, widespread trauma, only to shout from the pulpits now about manufactured fear, exposes a deeply hypocritical double standard that undermines the Church’s moral credibility.
Furthermore, the comparison to the Biblical Kingdom of Judah facing existential ruin is unhelpful and manipulative. Zambia is not a crumbling ancient empire under siege, but a sovereign modern republic built on a foundation of national unity and peace.
While it is the role of the Church to provide moral guidance, using the pulpit to stir up anxiety does nothing to build the nation. Church leaders should be anchors of hope and unity, rather than agents of unnecessary alarm.
Zambia’s democracy is far stronger than the Archbishop’s pessimistic outlook suggests, and its people will undoubtedly navigate the upcoming elections with dignity, peace, and calm, proving this alarmist rhetoric completely misplaced.
Guest Article
(c) Shipungu July 16, 2026