‘UPND Wants God Cancelled’: Ruling party sparks outrage over plan to stop August 12 candlelight prayers

133 Views The United Party for National Development has called for the cancellation of nationwide candlelight prayers planned for August 12, 2026, and the request has split public opinion just a day before Zambians go to the polls. In a letter to Chelstone’s Marian Shrine and copied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, UPND Secretary […]

133 Views

The United Party for National Development has called for the cancellation of nationwide candlelight prayers planned for August 12, 2026, and the request has split public opinion just a day before Zambians go to the polls.

In a letter to Chelstone’s Marian Shrine and copied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda argued that the timing of the prayer meeting was problematic.

He said candles and lamps are also symbols used by some political parties in this election, and that holding a night vigil on the eve of voting could easily be read as political rather than purely religious.

The prayer initiative was announced on August 4 by Father Felix Banda.

He invited clergy, religious leaders and believers to gather on August 12 for prayers for peace ahead of the August 13 General Election.

Imenda’s letter quickly went viral and Zambians flooded social media with sharply divided views.

Kinglisto Silimi dismissed the fears. He wrote that Zambia has held many elections since the First Republic without panic, and urged the Catholic Church to relax. He said the country is calm and the vote will pass peacefully.

Andrew Chileshe took the opposite view. He asked why leaders are always uncomfortable when people turn to God. He said the country should be handed to Jesus, pointing to the United States as an example of a nation that prayed during tense elections. For him, peace and unity only come through divine intervention.

Lungu Enerst backed the UPND position. He questioned the need for large gatherings on the night before voting, suggesting people could get tired and fail to turn out the next day.

The debate drew in clergy too. Reverend Peter K. Nsama released a long statement saying the Church must not surrender sacred symbols to politics.

He argued that just because a party uses a candle as a logo does not mean the Church should stop lighting candles. He compared it to banning pens or the color red because a party uses them. Quoting Matthew 5:14, he said believers are called to be the light of the world.

Nsama urged that August 12 be treated as an altar, not a rally. He called for no party regalia, no slogans and no political speeches, only scripture, worship and prayer for peace, unity and wisdom.

He also appealed directly to government and ECZ to work with the Church to set guidelines that keep the event neutral, instead of banning prayer altogether. He warned that removing God from national life at such a critical moment would be a mistake.

In his closing, the reverend told Zambians to pray on the 12th and vote peacefully on the 13th. He said prayer is not the same as voting for opposition, and calling for peace is not the same as supporting government. Both, he said, are acts of love for Zambia. He cited 2 Chronicles 7:14 as he urged the nation to humble itself before God.

With less than 24 hours to go before the candlelight event, pressure is now on the Church, ECZ and political players to decide whether the prayers will go ahead as planned or be scaled down to avoid accusations of partisanship.