Zambian politics are still unstable, immature – JCTR
| By Mwala Kalaluka |
|
THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has reported that the kind of politics exhibited over the last three quarters in Zambia does not truly serve the citizenry who must be the custodians of politics.
In a statement sent to the Nairobi-based Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) news agency, JCTR governance officer Dominic Liche said Zambian politics were still unstable and manifested immaturity to an extent of attempting to shut down all opposing views.
"Zambian politics has exhibited very interesting signs in 2009," Liche said. "Zambian politicians seem to be validating the old adage that 'politics is a dirty game' and in addition, the Church has been told it has no role in politics but only to praise-sing government."
Liche observed that 17 years following Zambia's reversion to multi-party politics, the country's politics and governance were still unstable and were fraught with attempts of shutting down dissent.
"These have been manifest in the recent NGO Act, banning of demonstrations over acquittals of prominent figures, criticism of Church's valid concerns of lack of democracy and good governance in Zambia, and limiting freedom of the press," Liche said.
"Politics remains that of name-calling, name-dirtying, lies, and just a dirty game to get into positions of power. One has just to read the newspapers of the day to see this. We are yet to see mature and honest politics that have people's needs, and aspirations at heart."
Liche said despite the fact that the three church mother bodies had been instrumental in Zambia's politics, democracy and service delivery, the Church has been told not to meddle in politics and remain in the pulpits.
"Surprisingly, churches that sing praises to government are highly commended by government. Such hypocrisy is not building our nation but dividing it," he said. "How can the Church remain in the pulpits when they reach to people that are poor, hungry, suffering because of bad policies, lack good healthcare, do not know where public resources go? The Church would be failing to preach the Word of God if they remained in the pulpit and remained blind to the harsh realities that people go through in their day-to-day lives."
In apparent reference to information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, Liche said some comments by government persons who are also church persons sometimes confuse government position with church position.
"One has only to read the Gospels and see how Jesus Christ interacted with the people of the day; feeding the hungry, welcoming sinners, healing the sick, giving advice to the rich and politicians, and suffering to the cross. It would be sad to see Churches persecuted for telling the truth or trying to work hard to improve the lives of the people they preach to," Liche said.
"It would be hard, given the events of the past three quarters, to confidently assert that politics in Zambia is serving the interests of all Zambians. Whilst it might be serving the interests of all Zambians, the majority of 'unnoticed' Zambians continue to suffer in poverty, in rural underdevelopment, in leaders that publicly proclaim they are there only to make laws and not represent their people, in leaders that are not committed to bringing good laws though a good Constitution."
He said the people that the government denies freedom of expression, freedom of rights to demand explanations and justification for use of public resources were the voters.
"It is a sham to embrace democracy and good governance in rhetoric," Liche said. "We are yet to see if the new Constitution, the African Peer Review Mechanism, the 2010 National Budget, and the National Development Plans, are designed in such a way that they benefit the most vulnerable in society. When we have talked about possible inclusion of justifiable Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in new Constitution, we are told it is to expensive and will bankrupt the nation.
When some civil society organisations raised strong moral voices against such 'unnecessary' expenditure, they were dubbed enemies of government. Has anyone tried to honestly calculate such 'unnecessary' expenditures and tried to see how many people such would serve in Zambia? If so, where is the conscience of our leaders, most of whom are Christians?"
In a statement sent to the Nairobi-based Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) news agency, JCTR governance officer Dominic Liche said Zambian politics were still unstable and manifested immaturity to an extent of attempting to shut down all opposing views.
"Zambian politics has exhibited very interesting signs in 2009," Liche said. "Zambian politicians seem to be validating the old adage that 'politics is a dirty game' and in addition, the Church has been told it has no role in politics but only to praise-sing government."
Liche observed that 17 years following Zambia's reversion to multi-party politics, the country's politics and governance were still unstable and were fraught with attempts of shutting down dissent.
"These have been manifest in the recent NGO Act, banning of demonstrations over acquittals of prominent figures, criticism of Church's valid concerns of lack of democracy and good governance in Zambia, and limiting freedom of the press," Liche said.
"Politics remains that of name-calling, name-dirtying, lies, and just a dirty game to get into positions of power. One has just to read the newspapers of the day to see this. We are yet to see mature and honest politics that have people's needs, and aspirations at heart."
Liche said despite the fact that the three church mother bodies had been instrumental in Zambia's politics, democracy and service delivery, the Church has been told not to meddle in politics and remain in the pulpits.
"Surprisingly, churches that sing praises to government are highly commended by government. Such hypocrisy is not building our nation but dividing it," he said. "How can the Church remain in the pulpits when they reach to people that are poor, hungry, suffering because of bad policies, lack good healthcare, do not know where public resources go? The Church would be failing to preach the Word of God if they remained in the pulpit and remained blind to the harsh realities that people go through in their day-to-day lives."
In apparent reference to information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, Liche said some comments by government persons who are also church persons sometimes confuse government position with church position.
"One has only to read the Gospels and see how Jesus Christ interacted with the people of the day; feeding the hungry, welcoming sinners, healing the sick, giving advice to the rich and politicians, and suffering to the cross. It would be sad to see Churches persecuted for telling the truth or trying to work hard to improve the lives of the people they preach to," Liche said.
"It would be hard, given the events of the past three quarters, to confidently assert that politics in Zambia is serving the interests of all Zambians. Whilst it might be serving the interests of all Zambians, the majority of 'unnoticed' Zambians continue to suffer in poverty, in rural underdevelopment, in leaders that publicly proclaim they are there only to make laws and not represent their people, in leaders that are not committed to bringing good laws though a good Constitution."
He said the people that the government denies freedom of expression, freedom of rights to demand explanations and justification for use of public resources were the voters.
"It is a sham to embrace democracy and good governance in rhetoric," Liche said. "We are yet to see if the new Constitution, the African Peer Review Mechanism, the 2010 National Budget, and the National Development Plans, are designed in such a way that they benefit the most vulnerable in society. When we have talked about possible inclusion of justifiable Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in new Constitution, we are told it is to expensive and will bankrupt the nation.
When some civil society organisations raised strong moral voices against such 'unnecessary' expenditure, they were dubbed enemies of government. Has anyone tried to honestly calculate such 'unnecessary' expenditures and tried to see how many people such would serve in Zambia? If so, where is the conscience of our leaders, most of whom are Christians?"
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