Faith & Politics: Reading Godfridah Sumaili’s Makebi-Jesus Analogy

 VIEWPOINT | Faith & Politics: Reading Godfridah Sumaili’s Makebi-Jesus Analogy

Former Religious and National Guidance minister Godfridah Sumaili’s decision to liken Makebi Zulu to Jesus Christ is not a casual metaphor. It is a deliberate political act, drawing on Zambia’s deep Christian identity to frame a contemporary leadership contest in spiritual terms.

Speaking at a press briefing, Sumaili cast Makebi as a “servant,” invoking the Gospel image of Christ who raised Lazarus and led through humility. “We don’t need a businessman or a boss,” she said.

“We need a servant. Our Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant.” The message was clear. Leadership, in her framing, is not competence or governance capacity but spiritual posture.

She went further, accusing the UPND government of removing “the face of God from Zambia” and opening the door to “dark forces.” The claim positions political disagreement as spiritual warfare. It also places voters in a binary choice between God and godlessness, salvation and tribulation.

This is not new in Zambian politics.

Following the death of Michael Sata in 2014, a similar narrative was deployed around Edgar Chagwa Lungu. PF figures framed Lungu as divinely chosen, anointed to complete a spiritual mission. Christian language was used to sanctify political authority. Over time, governance realities exposed the limits of that framing. The record of the Lungu years is widely documented, including the politicisation of the police, cadre violence, and shrinking civic space. The spiritual language did not translate into ethical governance.

Sumaili’s remarks follow the same pattern.

By invoking Jesus Christ, she elevates Makebi beyond scrutiny. A “servant leader” framed as a Christ-like figure is insulated from ordinary political questioning. Policy gaps become secondary. Organisational weaknesses become irrelevant. Track records are eclipsed by perceived anointing.

This approach also risks instrumentalising faith communities. Zambia is constitutionally a Christian nation, but its Constitution does not require messianic leadership. Faith is meant to inform values, not replace competence. History shows that leaders presented as saviours often govern without restraint once in office, shielded by moral absolutism.

Sumaili’s assertion that the UPND has “removed God” from Zambia is not supported by constitutional or legal evidence. Zambia’s Christian nation clause remains intact. Churches operate freely. Religious expression remains visible in public life. The claim is political rhetoric, not a factual description of state policy.

Her further claim that the last four years have brought “tribulations with no solutions” reflects opposition talking points rather than a balanced assessment. Zambia faces economic strain, including energy shortages and cost-of-living pressures, but it has also seen debt restructuring progress, improved fiscal discipline, and restored engagement with international creditors.

These realities complicate the apocalyptic framing offered at the briefing.

Crucially, Makebi Zulu’s political positioning cannot be divorced from recent history. He has been a central figure around the late Edgar Lungu, including during the prolonged period in which Lungu’s body has remained unburied. His current political mobilisation draws heavily from the same PF base, networks, and narratives. Casting him as a moral break from that past requires evidence, not biblical analogy.

Zambia is not short of religious leaders. It is short of effective governance. Voters face questions of economic recovery, energy security, institutional reform, and social cohesion. These challenges demand administrative capacity, policy clarity, and political organisation.

Faith can guide conscience. It cannot substitute for competence.

Sumaili’s remarks reveal a familiar strategy. When political structures are weak and programmes are thin, spiritual language fills the gap. History suggests that Zambians have seen this script before. The outcome was not redemption. It was disappointment.

The test for any presidential hopeful is not resemblance to a messiah, but readiness to govern a complex republic. On this score, symbolism will not be enough.

© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu