Opposition Leader Challenges Church to Rise Against Injustices
Democratic Union (DU) president Ackim Anthony Njobvu has issued a strong call to the Zambian Church, urging it to break its silence and take a bold stand against alleged injustices and human rights violations affecting ordinary citizens.
Speaking during an appearance on Christian Nation Sunday program, Njobvu lamented the Church’s perceived passivity in the face of growing concerns about political abuse and selective application of the law.
“The Church in Zambia is not doing enough. While politicians manipulate the law, the clergy are choosing silence over righteousness,” Njobvu said. “But let me remind the Church silence in the face of injustice is complicity.”
He emphasized that the Church, as the moral compass of the nation, holds a divine mandate to speak truth to power and defend the voiceless, drawing parallels with biblical prophets like Isaiah, Amos, and Jeremiah, who boldly confronted corrupt kings and called for justice.
“The Church is not just called to preach salvation on Sunday, but to protect the dignity of God’s people every day,” Njobvu declared.
The opposition leader expressed concern that the clergy were too confined by fear and political intimidation to challenge the status quo, a situation he described as “spiritual negligence.”
He further noted that the Democratic Union has been deliberately engaging church leaders to cultivate a shared vision for a just, inclusive, and morally upright Zambia.
“We want to build a nation where no Zambian is harassed or abused for their political views where laws serve the people, not the powerful. And we believe the Church must be our ally in this sacred cause,” he said.
Njobvu’s remarks come amid growing accusations from opposition leaders and civil society organizations that the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) is using state institutions to suppress dissent. The government has consistently denied these allegations.
Nonetheless, the DU president warned that when the Church retreats from its prophetic role, “the altar becomes complicit with the throne.” He urged the clergy to rise with one voice, echoing the words of Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
He concluded by saying that Zambia’s healing will not come from politics alone, but from moral courage rooted in faith, justice, and truth
“The Church must not wait for change; it must become the change,” Njobvu said, appealing to pastors, bishops, and church elders to stand as guardians of the nation’s conscience.
©️ KUMWESU | July 29, 2025