Opposition United Front for a Strong Foundation leader, Chisenga Lumbwe, has urged the Church not to shy away from advising its congregants to vote for responsible leaders in the upcoming August general elections.
Mr. Lumbwe was reacting to a recent pastoral letter from the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), in which the Bishops cautioned priests against using church pulpits to spread political messages ahead of the elections.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Mr. Lumbwe said that the pastoral guidance by the bishops confirms that poor governance and the failures being experienced in the country cannot be separated from the role of church leadership in shaping values within society.
He urged the Church to provide guidance to its congregants and champion responsible leadership through all available platforms.
“The people who must understand the complexities of politics are church leaders, because they possess knowledge and influence, and should therefore guide the people accordingly,” said Mr. Lumbwe.
He has further called on the Church to play an instrumental role in ensuring that voters elect responsible and accountable leaders.
By Christabel Kamunu
