MATTERS ARISING | Catholic Bishops Fire Back as Bill 7 Tsunami Escalate Ahead of Friday Dialogue
The fragile calm that briefly emerged early Wednesday after the Oasis Forum confirmed a scheduled dialogue meeting with President Hakainde Hichilema has evaporated within twenty-four hours, following a forceful intervention from the Archdiocese of Lusaka.
In a statement dated November 26, the bishops accuse the Presidency of “playing with fire” and warn that “Zambia’s stability and wellbeing is too important for reckless political experimentation.”
The tone marks a significant escalation at a moment when the country expected a de-escalation after days of confrontations over the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill 7.
The bishops declare explicit solidarity with the Archbishop of Kasama and Bishop of Mpika, two of the most vocal clerics in recent weeks. They accuse the government of championing a constitutional shift that will “cause severe stress on the nation,” adding that “Bill 7 is being championed for himself, by himself with himself to the exclusion of the majority of people of Zambia.”
This language mirrors the wider clerical criticism that has intensified since Sunday, when President Hichilema publicly invited dialogue and warned church actors against spreading what he called “hatred” and “divisive talk.”
President Hichilema had used his three-hour press conference on Tuesday to denounce what he described as a small but powerful network of elites and clerics fuelling hostility towards him. In one of the clips that triggered national debate, he said:
“The level of hatred for me is shocking. You can see and even touch the venom. I did not choose where I was born.” He followed with a direct warning: “Do not preach hatred and hide in the name of the church. The law is blind to whoever commits a crime.” His remarks were widely interpreted as targeting segments of the Catholic Church.
The bishops’ statement, released within twenty-four hours, signals that these comments were not received lightly. The Archdiocese frames Bill 7 as an existential threat to Zambia’s democratic architecture, stating that the proposed amendments “undermine the rights and freedoms that generations of Zambians have struggled to secure.”
It calls on Catholics across all parishes, Small Christian Communities and lay groups to join the Oasis Forum’s planned demonstrations from Freedom Statue to State House. The phrasing suggests that even with Friday’s dialogue confirmed, the clerical movement sees confrontation as necessary.
The timing is significant. This morning, the Oasis Forum Chairperson Beauty Katebe had said the coalition had “engaged State House for dialogue,” signalling openness to negotiation. Sources confirmed the meeting was set for Friday afternoon.
But the bishops’ statement brings the confrontation back into national focus, particularly the line that “silence in the face of oppression is itself a form of complicity.”
This raises questions about whether the terrain has shifted from dialogue to parallel pressure.
The government’s posture also remains firm. During the same press conference, President Hichilema questioned the motives behind street-based mobilisation, asking opponents: “Why after 2026? There is someone you are waiting for.” He accused unnamed actors of attempting to “reverse the gains” of the past four years and warned that “we will go very heavy on violence, they will not be allowed to regroup whether in UPND, PF or Tonse.”
His criticism of clerics with a track record of having said “it would have been better to rig the 2021 election than allow some people to rule” was widely interpreted as an unprecedented rebuke of the Church’s political faction.
The bishops insist that their planned mobilisation is peaceful, urging Catholics to “carry yourselves with dignity” while invoking moral resistance: “Our faith calls us to be peacemakers and defenders of the truth… leaders must govern with humility, not with unchecked power.”
Yet the language of moral confrontation, combined with the call for a public march, ensures that Friday’s meeting now sits within a tense national mood.
What emerges is a widening gap between two centres of authority that both claim legitimacy: a Presidency insisting on constitutional order and warning against clandestine political alliances, and a clerical establishment positioning itself as moral guardian of democratic rights.
With the Oasis Forum now balancing a dialogue invitation and a mobilisation mandate, and with the bishops renewing public pressure, Zambia enters Friday’s round of talks at a moment of heightened political and religious tension.
Whether dialogue will cool tempers or harden positions is now the central question.
© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu
In the interest of the entire country, not just Southern province, Hakainde should withdraw this bill 7. Problem with Hakainde is that he is too stubborn. Alikwata ulunkonena. Fyonse yena, kychimfyana mpaka fye awina. That is not a good quality at all.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Tyrol, looking at your submissions, it is very difficulty to align you to any philosophical orientation, if you know what I mean. Which University did you go to? What is clear is that you are full of hate and spew hate and insults in each and every submission you make. One thing that can be observed is that you may have come from a disfunctional family where hate, confrontation were the order of the day. You are full of hate, just like Alick.
Ba Chester , tyrol uses his skull, not his brain, to think.
Hmmmmmmmmm. Calm yourselves down tu lumendo. Chester, what makes you think I have even attained University education? And would the name of that University explain why I disapprove of tribalist and oppressive lying conmen? So anyone that disagrees with your ka god originates from a dysfunctional family? Believe your assertions if they make you feel better. My fight is for mother Zambia, not just one province or tribe. That is what differentiates us. One day, you will thank me for being principled and lacking bias. In the meantime, enjoy your birthright immunity.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Problem is you feel entitled and you think Zambia is only for you a selection of selfish individuals from Luapula, Northern and Eastern. Anyone from any tribe has the right to be President of Zambia and you have no right to front hatred towards any person regardless of their tribe mwaumfwa✅
The level of animosity displayed by the Catholic Jesuits toward the president is deeply troubling. Such open hostility is unexpected from a religious order and raises significant concerns about their involvement in political affairs.
There are questions about whether the actions of these priests reflect the ideology promoted by the Vatican. The idea that religious leaders might threaten a sitting president and side with the opposition, potentially causing instability, is alarming.
Concerns are heightened by references to past incidents, such as the events in Rwanda, where similar dynamics reportedly contributed to chaos. This comparison underscores the potential dangers of religious involvement in political opposition and the need for caution
Let the archbishop be in front
We are with you our Catholic Bishops.. pressure Pali Pressure
Hakainde’s version of Dialogue is EMPTY NOISE, COFFEE and SELFIES.. And come 28th November after the so called dialogue, we will see pictures of the Oasis Forum Members on the state house stairs, with a smiling Hakainde..and screaming headlines in his Vuvuzela Media.
Meanwhile the illegal and Unconstitutional Bill 7 continues unscathed , and resting at committee stage in Nellie Mutti ‘s Parliament.
The illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 seeks to increase the number of Constituency based seats from 156 to 211to give effect to the Delimitation Report prepared by Mwangala Zaloumis and Macdonald Chipenzi’s Electoral Commission.
The delimitation report is Top Secret being kept in someone’s pocket.
How the 55 seats are spread is top Secret.
This is the Bill Hakainde wants to pass into law..and he won’t disclose how the seats are distributed among the provinces.. because there will be uproar even in Parliament and among Traditional Leaders especially in the North East.
The idea is to pass the Bill with unknowns. And once the bill becomes Law he will then be able do anything.
The aim is for the 3 provinces, and part of Central Province to completely capture the Legislature of Zambia. A legislative power grab.
The Catholic Church Bishops know this. The Oasis Forum knows this.
And many Zambians know this.
Mr Hakainde Hichilema also knows that the Zambians know the Scam.
What does he do ? Hide in his usual Tribal Sanctuary..and threaten the Bishops with arrests and attacks by street Thugs if they go into the Street.
If Hakainde passes the illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7, Zambia will be changed forever. Power will be concentrated in certain regions not because of population but by ethnicity.
Whoever owns the Legislature owns the Country.. that is the scam unleashed on Zambia.
Let him do the very minimum… Release the Delimitation Report so that Zambians can debate the Bill from an informed position.
He has failed to this to date..And he won’t do it.
I feel the church is going toooo far.
Those guys will be drinking tea in their houses and poor people will face the gun….awe
Just sit down and dialogue….
Some Catholic leaders are not happy that an SDA elder is running the country,.period. This is religious politics. Other churches must wake up.
This is not the catholic church. It is one bishop who lost an illegally acquired land cruiser. Nothing to do with the constitution. Let him go and protest, and then what? The bishop, One Hundred Thousand Kwacha NKUKU Man and HaaIndigo Tyrol group are going nowhere. There is no change in 2026 because there is no body in the opposition who has any clue how to navigate the economy, only perceived entitlement to leadership. I am from eastern province and I support this man 100% on his dedication to serving the country.
The views of these few Catholic bishops and priests should not stop a legitimately elected government from undertaking its duties. There are many Zambians who are not catholic and many Zambian who are not religious. There are also many within the catholic faith who dont agree with the views of these few catholic bishops and priests. The current government has the duty to protect the rights of all citizens while respecting religious freedoms.
Real Christian vs SDA elder aka chief freemanson…someone wants Lungu’s body for more power, walla, he will get burned by holy fire
Nkuku man’s real name is Alick