CATHOLIC CHURCH PROTESTS TO PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
Open Letter of Protest Over Systemic Abuse of Instruments of State Violence by
Government-The Cordoning-Off of the Cathedral of the Child Jesus
It is with utter shock and dismay that we write this open letter of protest over the state’s conduct of unilaterally and forcefully cordoning-off the Cathedral of the Child Jesus on 28th October, 2024 at the occasion of honouring the legacy of the 5th Republican President of Zambia, His Excellency
Micheal Chilufya Sata, RIP.
We wish to bring to your attention this serious mischief on the part of Government aimed at intimidation by way of abuse of the instruments of State violence.
This act is an infringement on the fundamental right of worship.
When we arrived on the said morning we were greeted to a scene of heavily armed police officers with anti-riot gear who had sealed both entrances to the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in the Archdiocese of Lusaka.
Devotees who turned up for morning prayers were turned away and were also fearful of the military scene.
Your Excellency, the Cathedral is a place of worship, and what happened today is totally unacceptable for a country that professes to be a Christian nation.
We feel that this brazen act of intimidation should be cast to good conscious and brought to light.
We feel that the tendence by this Government to make an affront on the Church has become endemic and systemic, and must therefore be stopped forthwith.
We recognise that members of the Church had sought permission in the months back to host the 10th Memorial Anniversary Requiem Mass for the Fifth President, His Excellency, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata on 28th October 2024.
We also note that a similar Church Service was being held by Government at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the same purpose. However, this was no reason to prevent another remembrance service to be held at any other place of worship.
Despite various personal intervention by Archbishop Rev. Dr. Alick Banda, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka and lawyer Mr. John Sangwa SC, the premises remained sealed until after 09:30hrs.
Your Excellency, we wish to express our concerns with the heavy-handed approach which we witnessed today and utter disrespect shown to a sacred premises.
We feel that there is a systemic and coordinated violation of human rights by the police who have been turned into a wing and
extension of the UPND Party.
The harassment and arbitrary arrest of citizens and prolonged detention of citizens who provide checks and balances to this Government has become the norm of the day rather than an exception. In a word therefore, we are convinced that this Government
has become rogue.
Today’s events at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus are not an isolated incident but rather a coordinated scheme to intimidate the citizenry.
We end our open letter with the proverbial adage attributed to Lord Acton, the nineteenth Century English historian who states that “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The one who has ears, let them listen!
Issued by Archdiocese of Lusaka
28th October, 2024
The Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
CATHOLIC CHURCH PROTESTS TO PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
