Election: Prophet Iginla Sends Message To President

Pastor Joshua Iginla, the senior pastor of the Champions Royal Assembly, on Friday told President Edgar Lungu of Zambia to accept the outcome of the country's 2021 election.

Vote counting has now begun in Zambia following the successful staging of the southern African nation's general elections.

After 12 hours of voting, polling stations started closing at 6 pm on Thursday (1600 GMT), though several hundreds still in queues were being allowed to cast their ballots.

President Lungu deployed more troops in parts of the country to quell election violence in the tightly contested polls pitting him against long-time rival Hakainde Hichilema. There was also a partial internet restriction.

Lungu said election-day violence had killed two people -- including the chairman of his party in North-Western province.

In a statement, he said he had directed the army commander "to quickly re-enforce security in North-Western, some parts of Western, and Southern provinces where this unprecedented violence is taking place".

Iginla, in a statement on his verified Facebook page, said that he had issued series of warnings to the incumbent president. He also said the President barred him from entering Zambia.

Read Iginla's full message below:

MY OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU

Your Excellency,

President Edgar Lungu,

I write this open letter to you not only as a prophet of God but an authority who has his degree in Political science and Masters In international law and diplomacy that you should accept the outcome of this election in good faith. The people have spoken that they want wind of change as God has ordained it and any attempt to thwart that will lead to anarchy and history will not be kind to you.

It is obvious you have failed to fulfill your electoral promises to Zambians and this has led to socio-economic meltdown in the country.

There are several factors behind Your unpopularity. One is the high cost of living, thanks to a faltering economy. According to the latest data on chronic poverty in Zambia from the Overseas Development Institute, the number of adults who cannot afford to have more than one meal a day has risen to 40% under your rule.

A second is the high levels of income inequality. Despite being a lower middle-income country, latest World Bank records show that nearly 60% of Zambia’s 18.8 million people earn below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day (compared to 41% across Sub-Saharan Africa). While poverty is endemic, several PF leaders have continued to accumulate and display obscene or grotesque wealth in ways that have alienated your government from many Zambians

The third is the country’s staggering debt, which alongside your administration’s demonstrated lack of commitment to fixing its debt crisis through better fiscal management, has undermined the government’s capacity to improve service delivery, invest in social sectors, and reduce high unemployment. When the PF won power in September 2011, Zambia’s external debt stood at $1.9 billion. By December 2020, it had risen to $12.74 billion

The lack of service delivery has been felt most notably in the health sector, where the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have exacerbated the crisis.

The fourth is the violent behaviour of the PF cadres who control the markets and bus stations. Your reluctance to stop their activities has emboldened their conduct, undermined the authority of the police, and left the public greatly exposed.

The fifth is the lack of policy consistency including in the crucial mining industry, Zambia’s major export earner. In addition to undermining revenue collection, this policy instability has raised significant consternation among foreign investors. Economically, this should be a good period for Zambia with strong commodity prices, but the government has interfered with mining in a very erratic way, forcing mines to submit to nationalisation.

Added to this is the closing democratic space, the deteriorating state of the human rights situation in the country, the general breakdown in the rule of law, and the absence of leadership on key issues such as grand corruption in government, the so-called “gassing” incidents in early-2020, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and deepening ethnic divisions that have characterised the past five years.

Personally, I have warned you several times to listen to the voice of God and also revealed to you that you are surrounded by Judases. But you ignored me.

Rather, you backlisted me and barred me from entering Zambia again.

Of a truth, president Lungu, you tried your best in certain areas while governing the affairs of Zambia because your enthronement was an act of God. However, you should learn from this present predicament that it’s not good to forget your source or fight the mouthpiece of God whom God used to lift you up simply because he told you the truth from the throne of Grace.

Also, another lessons learnt is that you should beware of yes men who hails you just to be in your good book but failed to give you the right information about happenings in the country. They only shout hallelujah before you just to deceive you and Massage your ego.

My candid warning to you is that you should accept the outcome of this election in good faith as I have warned you prophetically about the will of God for you concerning this election. Don’t fight HH, rather congratulate him and focus on your health. I beseech you work on your health. Please stay alive to be another state man, and father of the nation.

Remain bless

Your's Joshua iginla