How Did You Vote?
Jubilee Centre November 4th, 2008
One of the defining characteristics of village politics has been intense tribalism. When the leader of a 
political party comes from a certain tribe, that party becomes the party for the entire tribe. In our villages, issues are low on the agenda when it comes to choosing a presidential candidate. A feature that defines the urban voters is that they seek a candidate who may give them a job or a contract with the government when he wins the election. People in the city are angry that the economic boom of the last few years has not improved their well-being. They are looking for the candidate who will best address issues of poverty, unemployment, education and health.
But how do Zambian Christians identify a right candidate for the presidency? In the USA, the Evangelical Christians have historically seen the Republican candidate as a God chosen leader. A primary reason for this is the conviction that a Republican president will champion the rights of the unborn child. What are the issues that lead Zambian Christians? Is it the desire to remain a Christian nation, or HIV/AIDS, or poverty, or abortion, or corruption? What characteristics define us as Christians when we engage in politics? Villagers voted for free fertilizer, urban poor voted for chitenge and urban unemployed-educated voted for an appointment in government. What did you vote for?
As a Christian whatever issue directed you to vote in the manner you did, you cannot assume that the 
candidate will solve the issue for you. If God has given you compassion to help those suffering with HIV/AIDS, or heart for the poor or a desire to help the orphans and vulnerable children fight for rights to free education through high school, then you must continue passionately serving to ensure that these needs are met, regardless of whether the winning candidate shares your values.
But there is no reason why the Christians should fail to identify a candidate who shares the same values. In the church today are hundreds of Christians who are not corrupt, are involved in freeing people from the bondage of poverty and HIV/AIDS and give dignity to the orphans and vulnerable children. These Christian men and women have the experience and the education to provide leadership in politics. What they need are church leaders who can affirm them and keep them rooted in biblically grounded politics.
There are Christians in your church who God has given an assignment, an assignment to deliver Zambians from foreign investment bondage and from corrupt, selfish and oppressive leaders. What are you doing to help enable them to capture a vision of the Promised Land as they step out from the crowd in pursuit of their mission? These Christians are our hope for sustaining our right to freely worship God in our land. If these people are not encouraged to participate in the political affairs of our nation, a day may come when a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph will rule our nation.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Lawrence Temfwe
