Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) chairperson Reverend Gabriel Tsuaneng has expressed optimism about peaceful, free and fair elections in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
He was speaking in an interview in Dowa district, Malawi when he was meeting with the leadership of Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), a member of FOCCISA.
Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Mauritius are expected to go to polls this year while Malawi, Tanzania and Seychelles will hold general elections next year.
“Our mandate actually takes keen interest on issues of socio-political interest, socio-governance, socio-cultural, on issues of health, on issues of education, on issues of good governance, and on issues of political development across our region. And therefore, for instance, we are quite alive to the fact that Malawi as a nation, will be going for the general elections next year in 2025.
“Other countries, including my own country, will be going for the general elections this year in 2024. and others such as South Africa. So those are the areas of keen interest when it comes to socio-political developments of our region.
“That is to say, it has to be able to engage with the political landscape of the country and to represent the interest of God, even in the most uncomfortable situations depending on the context of the country. The church remains to carry masses of people who play a significant role in the making of our political sphere, in the making of our democracies, in the making of our governments,” said Rev. Tsuaneng, who is also general secretary of Botswana Council of Churches (BCC).
He described the social and political development in SADC is weak in certain areas and strong in others.
“Weak in terms of how the democracies are nurtured year in, year out. But strengthened in terms of ensuring that the democracy that the people have so worked hard for is sustained and it is witnessed and demonstrated by ensuring that every time during the year of elections, such countries are able to go, to go out and exercise their constitutional mandate.
“That is a credit we must give to our SADC countries. And we see that during such a season, like Malawi is coming into the election year next year, we have known nothing that can stop any SADC country or international attention for that matter.
“That can stop us from coming here to do what we have to do most, to observe the elections, to produce the report, and to speak to ensuring that the democracy of the people of Malawi, just like it is for any democracy in our region, is sustained and is made very strong,” he said
MCC Board Chairperson Rev. Dr Billy Gama described the meeting as important because it is one way of straightening and empowering member Christian councils.
“One of the focuses, again, is not only encouraging us on the issue of solidarity and unity in the SADC region, but also empowering the local Christian councils.
On elections, Rev. Gama said as MCC, they are putting in place to make sure that there is peace during the campaign and after elections.
“One of such initiatives is that we are bringing the council closer to the people. So, we are starting, probably two weeks from now, establishing chapters in all the regions, starting from the north.
“That is going to give us mandate to reach more people. Which means we will start with civic educating and encouraging the masses to register, until after the elections,” he said
FOCCISA is an international ecumenical organization. Founded in 1980 as the Fellowship of Christian Councils in East and Southern Africa, it changed to its current name in 1999. It is a member of the World Council of Churches.
