Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa calls for prayer and peace amid Zambia general election tensions

[Anglican Communion News Service] Following tensions surrounding the recent general elections in Zambia last month, the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa issued a statement on Sept. 2 calling for prayer and peace.

Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, signed the statement on behalf of the African primates, expressing concern for the democratic process and the detention of political opponents during the elections.

Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development won the Aug. 13 elections, though his main competitor, Brian Mundubile, claims that the counting of the votes had been rigged.

After the election, government authorities raided a house, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that killed former Zambian minister Mutotwe Kafwaya. Eleven people were also arrested in this raid, including senior opposition figures. They were accused of planning a coup with the help of foreign militia, which they have denied.

Retired Botswana Bishop Trevor Mwamba, a Zambian national who now leads Zambia’s United National Independence Party, was among the arrested opposition figures.

“Our hearts are particularly heavy as we remember all those currently detained in connection with the electoral process,” Makgoba said in the statement. “We hold in our prayers every individual who is separated from their families during this time of uncertainty. We pray for their physical safety, their mental well-being, and the protection of their dignity.”

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