By 
President Hakainde Hichilema has moved to take firm control of the growing national tension surrounding the proposed constitutional amendments, announcing that he will hold a major press briefing on Tuesday to address what he called the resurgence of violent activities and the need for “responsible national leadership” ahead of the 2026 polls.
His announcement comes barely a day after Archbishop Ignatius Chama openly endorsed the Oasis Forum’s opposition to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 7 and called on Christians to join the November 28 demonstration at State House — a move that has injected an unusual level of clerical authority into a politically charged moment.
The Oasis Forum has since doubled down, insisting its protest will proceed as planned.
Against this backdrop, President Hichilema delivered a strongly worded message at the Evangelical Church of Zambia (EFZ) Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Matero, warning that the country must not revert to the toxic political culture of years past.
“Elders in the Church should never advocate violence or street confrontations, but should instead champion dialogue as the primary tool for resolving disputes,” the President said.
While he did not mention Archbishop Chama by name, the timing and tone of the message made the target unmistakable — a call for senior clergy to avoid actions that could escalate tensions or send a misleading signal to the nation.
Hichilema urged Church leaders to model restraint and responsibility, saying that young people were too often exposed to negative behaviour from those they look up to.
“I will not allow the country to slide back to the days when violence characterised public spaces such as markets and bus stops,” he warned.
He linked this concern to the misuse of social media, pointing to the rapid spread of inflammatory content and the ease with which misinformation fuels confrontation.
The President also took time to thank the Church for promoting hard work, integrity and values that align with the Government’s reform agenda, including free education. Yet his broader message was unmistakable: the country is entering a sensitive moment, and those with influence must exercise it carefully.
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Earlier, ECZ Presiding Bishop Paul Mususu appealed for calm, urging citizens opposed to the amendment process to reflect on the developmental benefits some changes could bring, including the delimitation of oversized constituencies.
“The amendment process contains progressive provisions, including delimitation, which aims to divide large constituencies such as Kasempa,” he said.
But with Archbishop Chama calling for participation in the protest and the Oasis Forum standing its ground, a confrontation between the State and civil society now appears likely — unless Tuesday’s presidential briefing changes the national temperature.
For now, the country watches closely as political, religious and civic forces collide over a constitutional moment that has quickly become one of the defining battles ahead of the 2026 election.
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