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Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Chama of the Kasama Archdiocese has endorsed the Oasis Forum’s opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments and urged Christians to join the planned peaceful demonstration at State House in Lusaka on November 28, 2025.
Archbishop Chama, speaking on Radio Lutanda’s Ishiwi lyakwa Kacema programme on Friday, described the proposed constitutional amendment as “a potentially dangerous erosion of constitutional safeguards” and appealed to Zambian Christians to participate in the nationwide peaceful protests organised by the Oasis Forum.
He said the protest was not “a mere political act but a sacred civic duty embedded in Christian ethos and constitutional fidelity.”
Chama emphasised that the Constitution was not simply a legal instrument but “a covenant between the state and its people.”
He added that when that covenant was manipulated and rights “quietly stripped away under the guise of reform,” it became “the duty of citizens” and “the conscience of the faithful to rise in peaceful, orderly protest.”
“The right to peaceful assembly was enshrined in Zambia’s Constitution and must be exercised with integrity,” he stressed.
He warned against apathy among the country’s largely Christian population, saying silence in the face of governance overreach undermined both democracy and moral leadership.
“The Church does not endorse disorder. We reject violence, property destruction, or incitement,” he said.
Chama said when governance drifts from transparency, equity, and accountability — placing the dignity of the poor and the vulnerable at risk — “the faithful must speak, and they must march.”
He described the Oasis Forum’s call for mass demonstrations as objective, legitimate and constitutionally grounded.
He encouraged, especially the youth, to embrace Pope Francis’ call during the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro: “Do not wait for others to change the world. Be the agents of change.”
“The message resonates deeply here in Zambia,” he noted.
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He insisted young people were “not bystanders but guardians of the future,” adding: “When constitutional processes appear to bypass public consultation or to concentrate power rather than expand rights, they must be at the forefront.”
Chama also appealed to the Zambia Police Service to ensure protection, not suppression, of demonstrators.
“Protesters are not enemies of the state, they are its conscience,” he said.
He added that: “The true enemies are those who enrich themselves through corruption, who silence dissent, and who manipulate institutions to serve private interests, not the public good.”
Chama reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to peace, justice and human dignity, urging all Zambians to remain vigilant, learn about the proposed amendments and participate in lawful, nonviolent avenues to voice their concerns.
“The Constitution belongs to the people. And when it is threatened, the people must answer not with rage, but with resolve. Not with chaos, but with clarity. Not with silence, but with sacred courage,” he said.
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