Dr. Nevers Mumba Open Letter: to my beloved fellow Christians who are still Personally injured or disappointed that i, a pastor/ evangelist is still involved in politics

To my fellow believers who have expressed concern, I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In the past, and especially recently, I have received many messages from fellow believers asking questions like: Dr Nevers Mumba, why are you involving yourself in politics? As a pastor, are you not supposed to stay away from divisive matters? Why are you siding with the ruling UPND and seemingly defending some of their actions? Isn’t that a betrayal of your calling as a man of God?” I understand this concern. It is sincere, and I welcome the dialogue. But let me respond, not with emotion or partisanship, but with biblical perspective, historical understanding, and spiritual conviction.

1. GOD'S SERVANTS HAVE ALWAYS SERVED IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT

From Genesis to Revelation, we see God consistently placing His servants in positions of influence within civil government — not to remain silent or passive, but to bring righteous counsel, protect the vulnerable, and preserve godly order in society. Daniel served in Babylon, under a king who was known for ruthlessness — one who threw dissenters into fiery furnaces and lion’s dens. And yet, Daniel, a man of prayer and unshakable faith, did not stand on the outside shouting accusations. He operated within the system, with wisdom, tact, and integrity.

He challenged injustice with courage — but always with respect and divine timing. Joseph served in Egypt under Pharaoh, a pagan ruler. He rose to become the most powerful administrator in the land. He didn’t shout from outside the palace gates. He brought life-saving solutions from within government — preserving a generation from famine and disaster. These were not compromised men. They were strategically placed vessels used by God to influence nations from the inside.

2. DIFFERENT PROPHETIC ASSIGNMENTS FOR DIFFERENT TIMES

We must also understand that God can place calls on His servants differently depending on the season and the assignment he has for them. John the Baptist, for example, was called to deliver a bold and public message of repentance, confronting immorality in high places. That mission ultimately cost him his life. He was a prophet from the wilderness and he was raised and prepared specifically for that moment.

But Daniel and Joseph were also called to be insiders. Their messages were no less divine, and their impact, was in no way any less powerful. By serving from the inside, they shaped empires not through protest, but through proximity. Both approaches are biblical. Both are valid. What matters is that one follows God's specific call for their life. Let us not confuse method with mandate. One can be prophetic from BOTH the inside and from the outside. From the RULING PARTY side or from the OPPOSITION side. BOTH are needed, and BOTH must be led by the Spirit of God.

3. BELIEVERS MUST NOT BE NAÏVE — WE MUST BE WISE AND TACTFUL

One of the greatest dangers we face today is naïve Christianity — alot of well-meaning Christians, but who lack depth, strategy, or discernment and it is these who usually find themselves disappointed when they see the Lord leading someone like myself, or indeed, any of the many brothers and sisters that God has raised in various missions in the world that were previously considered to be uncharted waters. For the record, if God was not with me, protecting me, and if higher hands were not leading me, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Of this, I can testify. The Bible calls us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). That means we must combine our spiritual purity with practical intelligence and wisdom. Remember that Zeal without knowledge can be very destructive, just like Passion without strategy leads to confusion and instability. As Christians, when our fellow believers engage in politics, we must not be the first ones to publicly attack, shame, call them names and publicly destroy the work that God is doing through them to expand the influence of the body of Christ.

At the same time, for those of us who manage to get involved in politics or business or anything that brings the reputation of the church and other believers into sharp focus, let us do our best never to resort to immature public behavior, public bickering, or shallow exchanges. Instead, we must model mature, principled, and intelligent engagement that build rather than break. Remember, we are missionaries in these fields. Remeber that Criticism is not always a sign of courage; sometimes, it just shows a lack of discipline. God calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) — with wisdom, and not with noise.

4. ZAMBIA IS NOT BABYLON — OUR CONTEXT IS VERY DIFFERENT

Some Christans assume that all political systems are inherently oppressive or godless. But that is NOT TRUE and in the Zambian context, we must acknowledge our Christian Nation status. Let me be clear. Zambia is not Babylon. We are a Christian Nation. And, we are a democracy. Our current president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, is not a tyrant. He is a democratically elected leader who values and respects the rule of law, human rights, freedoms, consultation, he listens to advice, and operates within a constitutional framework.

Moreover — and this must be said clearly — President Hichilema is a fellow believer. He is a devoted family man, a Christian, and an elder in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He upholds many of the same moral values and convictions that millions of Zambian Christians profess — such as integrity, service, justice, and compassion. As someone in a working alliance with President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling UPND, I have firsthand experience that President HH is not unapproachable or authoritarian.

We have regular opportunities to debate, challenge, and advise within the alliance structure. That is how mature Alliances work. We do not shout at each other in public; we reason together in private. Some may interpret our lack of public confrontation as silence or compromise. It is neither. It is wisdom. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). And effective leadership knows the difference.

5. ZAMBIA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION — WHERE BETTER TO SERVE?

Zambia has declared itself a Christian Nation. That is not a slogan. It is a call to responsibility. If we believe this declaration, then where better for a servant of God to serve than in a nation that claims Christ as its foundation? Should we not bring righteousness into the very systems that shape our laws, our economy, and our governance? Retreating from politics leaves a vacuum that others will fill — often without godly principles. But stepping into that space, with integrity and humility, is not a betrayal of faith. It is an expression of it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have not entered politics for wealth, fame, or personal gain. I have done so because I believe that faith must shape nations — not from a distance, but from within. I will continue to support what is right. I will continue to correct what is wrong. I will continue to speak truth — whether to power or to the people — because that is what I believe God has called me to do. Let us not tear one another down with assumptions and immature criticism. Let us build a nation of wisdom, unity, and godliness. Let us engage as intelligent, Spirit-led believers who understand the times and know what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).

May God bless you.

May God bless Zambia.

Dr Vevers Mumba

Servant of God and Citizen of Zambia

Wynter Kabimba SC Write to Hon. JJ Mwiimbu Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security

On the morning of Tuesday, 07th October, 2025, I went to Chimbokaila prison to take instructions from my client,Callistus Kaoma, who was convicted by the Lusaka magistrate's court on Monday, 06th October, 2025. I arrived in front of the main front gate and announced my presence by clicking the metal ring for the attention of the guard on duty. When he opened the pigeon-hole, I politely introduced myself to him and informed about my visit. He told me to wait and slid the metal cover back in its place. After 10 minutes, I went back and repeated the ritual. He opened and peeped through the pigeonhole and told me again to wait. This went on for at least 30 minutes as I stood under the morning blazing sun.

When he finally spoke to me the third time after another attempt, he asked me for a letter of introduction from my employer, W M Kabimba and Company. I was stunned and I protested. A young female prison officer in uniform who introduced herself as legal counsel intervened. She informed me that the rules had changed and now lawyers needed to produce letters of introduction from their law firms. I asked why these new rules had not been communicated to LAZ to inform all its members, but I got no satisfactory answer.

I told her that I was leaving to go and bring an introductory letter which I would myself prepare and sign at the same time. Finally, a senior officer emerged from inside, only to come and confirm the same but told me I would be allowed as an exception for that day only. For the sake of my client, I yielded and went in. Inside the prison, there is no provision or space which allows for a lawyer-client privilege, a common principle of law. I brought this to the attention of the senior officer who insisted that the bench available, even with other people present was sufficient for the meeting with my client.

What I heard was astonishing to me. Now here is my point Hon. Minister. In the post 2015 elections, your (UPND) Lusaka Provincial Chairman, Obvious Mwaliteta, was arrested and put in the same Chimbokaila prison for more than a year on a tramped-up charge of aggravated robbery, only for the state to enter a nolle prosequi. later I went to the prison to pay him a visit, as a relative and someone I had worked with when he was deputy minister under president Micheal Sata. On two occasions I was not allowed to see him because, according to the prison officers, they were under strict instructions from the authorities not to allow any visitors for Mwaliteta.

I was more than convinced until Tuesday instant, that things had changed for the better under UPND, but I was deeply disappointed to realise that I was actually wrong. That, what you condemned as UPND while in the opposition as a vice and an injustice to both the inmate/prisoner and his/her visitors was today something right. That, while it has now become a general policy by the Economic and Financial Crimes Courts not to admit to bail those convicted, they must also together with their families and advocates suffer such injustice based on arbitrary rules of might is right. Surely, we cannot continue to govern ourselves in this manner. I do not think that what I endured on Tuesday was an isolated case, it may be the general rule which calls for your attention as minister.

President Hakainde Hichilema swears in Technical Committee on Constitutional Reforms

President Hakainde Hichilema has sworn in the Technical Committee on Constitutional Reform alongside the Human Rights Commission, marking a key step in the country’s ongoing democratic and governance reforms.

In a statement, President Hichilema said the establishment of the committee follows wide consultations with stakeholders — including the Church, civil society, and ordinary citizens — who called for a truly inclusive and consultative process.

He emphasized that the committee’s duty is to listen to every voice, including the quietest ones, and to approach the process with prudence, patriotism, and solidarity. The Head of State urged citizens to actively participate in the process by sharing ideas and contributing constructively to shaping Zambia’s constitutional future. President Hichilema also congratulated members of the Human Rights Commission, calling on them to lead with integrity, compassion, and commitment to justice and equality.

Christian Coalition Zambia commends ECZ for its initiative to conduct online voter registration

The Christian Coalition Zambia has commended the Electoral Commission of Zambia for its initiative to conduct online voter registration. The Commission has commenced testing of the Online Voter Pre-registration Platform before launching the actual system in September 2020.

Coalition President Professor Charles Mwape says this initiative is timely as the country is moving towards embracing technology in conducting businesses. Professor Mwape says the initiative gives an opportunity to many youths to register as voters at their convenience and participate in the 2021 general elections.

He said the initiative will further allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia to register the targeted 9 million eligible voters ahead of the 2021 polls. Professor Mwape said people who are opposing this initiative therefore do not understand the changing world and do not understand the tenets of democracy.

He said this initiative must be welcomed by all well meaning Zambians as it will more people to register as voters. And Professor Mwape said ECZ Chairperson Justice Essau Chulu to step down for failure to reduce nomination fees ahead of the 2021 polls. He said the exorbitant fees are prohibitive to many Zambians who would want to participate in next year’s polls.