REV NDHLOVU: ONLY UNITY CAN SAVE ZAMBIA’S DEMOCRACY

REV NDHLOVU: ONLY UNITY CAN SAVE ZAMBIA’S DEMOCRACY

By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia

The EMV program hosted by Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba featured Reverend Dr. Japhet Ndhlovu, former General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Zambia. The discussion offered a sober reflection on Zambia’s democratic trajectory as the nation prepares for the 2026 elections, focusing on the shrinking of civic space, questions over institutional independence, and the urgent call for national unity.

Dr. Ndhlovu, a veteran of the 2001 Oasis Forum that successfully blocked a third term amendment, warned that the promises of wider freedoms made in 2021 have been replaced by fear and restrictions. “The space for democratic expression has been shrunk,” he said, noting that citizens live in “a spirit of fear” as restrictive laws and selective enforcement target dissenting voices.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION UNDER SCRUTINY
Ambassador Mwamba raised strong concerns over the independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). He played a video clip of Hon. Miles Sampa, Member of Parliament for Matero and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, who argued that the Commission has been deliberately sidelining the Patriotic Front in by-elections. “They want a competition without opponents and then they celebrate that they are popular,” Sampa said.

In another video clip played during the show,  Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba questioned whether ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis would ever be in a position to declare President Hichilema a loser, given her political background.

Dr. Ndhlovu responded with urgency. “Civil society and opposition parties must not wait until crisis point,” he said. “They should camp at the ECZ now with specific demands for continuous registration, fairness, and neutrality. If institutions lose perceived independence, elections will not be credible, and instability will follow.”

THE “JOHN THE BAPTIST” CALL
Towards the end of the broadcast, an anonymous caller delivered what many considered the defining intervention of the evening. The caller insisted that Zambia needs a “John the Baptist” type of leader in the interim to shepherd the opposition alliance toward unity and eventually help identify the next presidential candidate.

“My comment is that the opposition needs a John the Baptist type of a leader in the interim who will lead the opposition alliance in the process of uniting the opposition and eventually finding the next president,” the caller said. “President Hakainde Hichilema, through what he calls imingalato, has continued to toy with the largest opposition party, effectively making him the enemy of democracy in this nation. The opposition should know that the strangulation of the Patriotic Front is the strangulation of democracy. There is no other way but unity in this regard. Reverend Ndhlovu, a legend of advocacy, please fly to Lusaka and come and give guidance to the opposition.”

The same caller raised one of the most sensitive questions facing the nation: the government’s legal action against former First Lady Esther Lungu in a South African court, which halted the burial of her late husband, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. “The government and its supporters now claim it is the Lungu family delaying the burial, when in fact it was the state that stopped it,” the caller said. “Meanwhile, the President goes around making it appear as if the government is innocent. Can we invoke Exodus 22:22-24 as God’s promise to the widow?”

Dr. Ndhlovu described the spectacle as “an embarrassment to the nation” and urged both sides to engage in dialogue that would allow a dignified and respectful burial. He warned against a culture of political retribution that undermines national unity and Zambia’s international image.

ANALYSIS: A NATION AT A CROSSROADS
The program highlighted key themes that will define Zambia’s political climate in the coming year. Institutions tasked with safeguarding democracy are increasingly seen as compromised. Civic organizations that once spoke boldly, such as during the Oasis Forum era, have grown quieter. Fear is palpable among citizens, many of whom hesitate to speak openly, even on anonymous platforms.

Yet the discussion also offered a roadmap. Rev. Ndhlovu emphasized that opposition parties must seize the moment by uniting behind one credible candidate and by demanding electoral fairness well before polling day. “Ten presidential candidates will only deliver victory to the ruling party,” he cautioned. “The opposition must present one standard-bearer with national legitimacy.”

He further argued for systemic reforms to devolve power away from the presidency and into strong, independent institutions, citing judicial and electoral practices in Kenya as examples that Zambia could follow.

The EMV program made clear that Zambia stands at a crossroads. A weakened ECZ, the burial dispute of a former president, silenced civic voices, and the concentration of power in the presidency all pose serious risks to democratic stability.

Rev. Dr. Japhet Ndhlovu’s intervention was a clarion call. Government must govern with honesty and fairness. Civil society must recover its prophetic voice. And opposition leaders must unite to give Zambians a credible alternative.

“Unity is critical,” Dr. Ndhlovu concluded. “The people must be able to rejoice under governance that allows everyone to thrive, not one that rules through fear and division.”