* As Revered Prof. Silas Ncozana reminds CCAP ministers of Blantyre Synod’s 1992 call to remain neutral in terms of party politics
* In this way, we can be unbiased in our criticism of any injustices and oppression we see from any political party
* On this point, our Ministers of religion are expected to be publicly neutral — no matter what their personal convictions
By Duncan Mlanjira
In enhancing the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod’s ‘Holistic Evangelisation’ tradition — which is a bedrock of the Synod’s mission as imbedded in its constitution — CCAP ministers have been implored to shape congregants’ minds to vote for individuals with sound development policies without being biased.
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This was emphasised by The Very Rev. Prof. Silas Ncozana during a conference for the CCAP Clergy at Grace Bandawe Conference Centre in Blantyre, which was organised by the Synod’s Church & Society — under the theme; ‘Church and Politics: The role of faith leaders ahead of September 16, 2025 General Elections’.
It was organised on the background that the CCAP Blantyre Synod — through Church & Society programme — has been accredited by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to do civic and voter education from the pulpit ahead of the September 16 elections.
After presentations that culminated into heartful panel discussions, in which the top agenda debate was whether the clergy should be involved in politics — or whether to endorse a particular candidate for the faithfuls to vote for — The Very Rev. Ncozana reminded the ministers of their role as guided by what Blantyre Synod said to itself on October 14, 1992 during the fight for multiparty dispensation.
The Very Rev. Prof. Ncozana listening to Blantyre Synod’s General Secretary, Rev Anderson Juma’s opening remarks
Ncozana, who is one of the founders of the quasi-religious body, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) observed that ahead of September 16 “a lot of [political] bickering has already started — thus he quoted the 1992 document, that said: ‘It has been confirmed by the Synod that we are covenanted community with our Creator God and, therefore, also with each other as children of God, in the light of this covenan, we have a responsibility to promote the equality of all human beings in relation to each other’.
‘We as a Church have a responsibility to the people of this country to remain neutral in terms of party politics. In this way, we can be unbiased in our criticism of any injustices and oppression we see from any political party.
‘On this point, our Ministers of religion are expected to be publicly neutral — no matter what their personal convictions’, said the 1992 document.
The panel discussion was moderated by Times TV’s presenter, Brian Banda, who asked whether PAC has evolved into a better quasi-religious body since its formation in 1992 — to which the revered pioneer founder of PAC summed up that it has not.
He attested that religious leaders should be involved in politics because that it is a prophetic role given by God himself as played by the Catholic Church Bishops in the 1992 Pastoral Letter — the famous Malawi political landscape groundbreaking process towards multiparty dispensation.
He stressed that in solidarity with the Catholic Church Bishops, whose lives were in jeopardy from the then Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leadership, other religious leaders joined Rev. Ncozana in defence of the Bishops that culminated into PAC’s formation.
“We went through a very difficult and dangerous period of our lives but with the spiritual support of our church faithfuls, we overcame all obstacles for the good of our beloved country,” said Rev. Ncozana, who is Blantyre Synod’s Emeritus general secretary and its advisor on international affairs.
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He observed that the current PAC leadership is divided because they are compromised by being bribed by political leaders, some of whom are members of the CCAP, a statement which the gathered ministers agreed to.
Ncozana was joined by two other panelists; Blantyre Synod’s former general secretary Rev. Daniel Gunda and Vicar General for Blantyre’s Catholic Church Diocese and former PAC chairperson, Rev. Father Boniface Tamani, who attested to the prophetic role played PAC from its formation but has taken lukewarm approach in its checks and balances of government administration by being compromised through being bribed.
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The ministers present were presbytery clerks and Church & Society coordinators from all 20 prebyteries of the Synod, who are strategic officers that implement the Synod’s policies and programmes throughout the Synod’s catchment area of the entire Southern Region.
Thus Rev. Daniel Gunda implored on them to perform their prophetic role from the pulpit by guiding their congregants on the importance of going to vote in masse and shaping the voters minds on the caliber of candidates to choose from — without singling specific names of presidential and parliamentary candidates.
