Zambia’s Church Leaders “strongly” Condemn Electoral Violence, Advocate for Order

Lusaka, 15 April, 2023 / 9:00 PM

Church leaders in Zambia under the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) have decried violence in the ongoing campaigns for the April 20 by-elections in some districts in the Southern African country.

CCMG officials say their Long-Term Observer (LTO) in Muchinda ward of Serenje district in Zambia's Central Province reported that supporters of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) allegedly attacked the president of the Socialist Party, Dr. Fred M’membe, and his supporters at a campaign rally on April 8. Dr. M’membe reportedly used his gun to disperse the crowd.

On April 9, CCMG officials say that Socialist Party offices were also attacked and the attackers made away with the party’s campaign materials. 

“We are deeply concerned with the violence reported by our LTOs in Serenje in which UPND supporters caused damage to Socialist Party material and vehicles,” they say in their Wednesday, April 12 statement. 

CCMG officials say they are also “greatly concerned” by Dr. M’membe’s use of firearm in public.

“We condemn the occurrence; equally, we are dismayed by the use of a firearm by Dr. M’membe and the consequent reported assault of UPND supporters,” say CCMG officials who include representatives of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR).

Officials of the independent and nonpartisan election observer body in the country call on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to take action against the UPND and Socialist Party for engaging in violence during campaigns, violating the provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct. 

They urge security officers in the country to investigate all acts of violation of the Electoral Code of Conduct without discrimination and prosecute those who are found guilty.

“We call on the police to prosecute those involved in violence to the full extent of the law, and we call on the ECZ to invoke provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct against the two parties who clearly violated the Code’s provisions in the Electoral Process Act,” say CCMG officials who also include  representatives of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ).

CCMG officials have also called on the media to continue providing "equal access and coverage" to all political parties and candidates in the April 20 by-elections.

"CCMG urges the media to unreservedly and impartially play its key role of providing space for all political parties and candidates to interact with the electorate in order to allow the entrenchment of democratic governance through the electoral process in our country," they say.