How Christian Zionism Has Shaped Zambia’s Foreign Policy

By allowing Israel — accused of committing genocide in Gaza — to reopen its embassy in Lusaka after 52 years, Zambia has taken one of the most controversial diplomatic steps on the continent. Behind this decision lies not so much international law as a politics grounded in divine law.

A country that suffered historical injustices, endured colonization, and won its independence through long struggles now presents a striking contradiction: turning a blind eye to the suffering of the Palestinian people while drawing closer to Israel. Yet the contradiction is rooted deep in Zambian politics — in a strain of Christian Zionism that frames Zambia as “God’s chosen nation in Africa.” Under that belief, relations with Israel are viewed not only as diplomatic ties but as a sacred alliance.

Kenneth Kaunda’s universal Christianity

Zambia’s founding leader, Kenneth Kaunda, sought to balance relations with both Israel and Palestine and to act collectively with other African states. Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War and in line with the African Union’s broader stance, Kaunda took a firm stand against Israel’s attacks and repression of Palestinians: he closed the Israeli embassy and ordered its staff to leave the country.

Though devout, Kaunda kept a secular approach to governance. His vision of Christianity was universalist and focused on social justice. Blending Christianity with Pan-Africanism and humanism, Kaunda developed a political-philosophical framework often described as “Zambian Humanism.”

Frederick Chiluba and the Christian Nation

But Chiluba, Kaunda’s successor, moved in the opposite direction — placing religion at the center of politics. As a sign of his affinity with Pentecostal circles, before entering the State House he had fifty evangelical officials pray in every room to cast out evil spirits, effectively subjecting the presidential residence to a ritual spiritual cleansing.

When Chiluba officially declared Zambia a “Christian Nation” in 1991, Pentecostal leaders and churches celebrated enthusiastically. That declaration was more than rhetoric; it was a political theology. For many Pentecostal circles it represented the most tangible expression of Christian Zionism in Africa. In their view, just as Israel is described in the Old Testament as God’s “chosen people,” Zambia too was a nation chosen and blessed by God.

This outlook turned relations with Israel into more than diplomacy: they became a theological bond. During Chiluba’s era, Pentecostal churches proliferated across the country and religious rituals became integrated into state affairs, accelerating the institutionalization of a Zionism-infused national identity.

The sacred alliance of church and state

The Churches Council of Zambia, the Zambia Evangelical Fellowship, and the Zambia Episcopal Conference — three major Christian bodies — organized a special anointing ceremony for President Chiluba. Though initiated by charismatic and Pentecostal groups, the ceremony took place in Lusaka’s Anglican Cathedral and was led by the Anglican archbishop, bringing other denominations into the fold.

The ceremony’s organizer, Chiluba’s cousin Mbita Kabalika, framed the ritual as inspired by the Old Testament anointing of King David. Kabalika and some of his circle even claimed family ties or identity narratives similar to the Lemba people of southern Africa — asserting, in effect, a “Black Jewish” lineage. Such claims made a covenant-based nationalism, rooted in the Old Testament, more visible in Zambia’s national identity.

The clearest expression of Christian Zionism emerged here: anointing Chiluba was not merely a religious rite but a political act that equated Zambia’s destiny with that of biblical Israel.

Covenant-based Christian nationalism in Zambia

For Christian nationalist activists, Zambia’s fate was imagined along lines similar to Israel’s story in the Bible. According to this theology, national leaders should steer Zambia according to divine purpose, often invoking Old Testament kingship imagery. Supporters compared Chiluba’s proclamation to a leader like King Josiah standing between the pillars to bind his nation to God.

Pentecostal writer Liya Mutale echoed this view, describing Chiluba’s declaration as confirmation of a title Zambia “has had from time immemorial.” “Just as Israel was chosen by God,” she wrote, “Zambia has been chosen to bring an awakening to Africa.” This theology positioned Zambia not only as a Christian nation but as Israel’s mirror in Africa.

The sacred mission continues

The theologically driven line did not end with Chiluba. Edgar Lungu was frequently cast in terms of biblical kings: described as “anointed” and “chosen” — likened to David and Solomon. Lungu’s administration launched the unfinished National House of Prayer project, which activists said symbolized the idea that Zambia should be a contemporary counterpart to the temple described in the Old Testament — a meeting place for all nations. This narrative reinforced the belief that Zambia had a providential role: to be “Africa’s Israel.”

Current President Hakainde Hichilema has continued this religiously inflected direction. A member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Hichilema has repeatedly affirmed that the nation will proceed according to “Christian principles” in his Independence Day speeches. He visited Israel in 2023, was among the first African leaders to condemn Hamas’s October 7 attacks, and has offered statements of “sorrow” for both sides while largely remaining silent about Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Ultimately, his government permitted Israel to reopen its embassy in Lusaka after a 52-year hiatus.

It is important to note that Zambia’s support for Israel is not explained solely by Old Testament parallels. At the core of Christian Zionism is an eschatological belief: that the return of Jesus depends on the Jewish people’s dominion in the promised land and on the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple. For many Zambian leaders and Pentecostal circles, supporting Israel is therefore perceived as an investment in a divine plan that accelerates the Second Coming. In this sense, Israel’s expansion and strengthening are not merely geopolitical events but components of a cosmic design.

A theological illusion

This so-called “sacred alliance” between Zambia and Israel rests on a historical and theological illusion. Zambian Christian Zionists often conflate ancient biblical Israel with the modern Israeli state, ignoring the profound differences between them. Such a dogmatic fixation can serve to justify Israel’s genocidal policies in Gaza as a contemporary extension of Old Testament claims.

Of course, concrete diplomatic and economic interests — defense cooperation, agricultural technology, intelligence sharing — also play a role in the relationship. But Zambia’s indifference to the suffering of the Palestinian people becomes intelligible only when politics is driven by a shallow and one-dimensional religious interpretation.

Thus the question we must ask is blunt: is Zambia truly trying to become “Africa’s Israel,” or is it becoming merely an extension of Israel’s influence — in other words, Israel’s Africa?

Sources:

• Phiri, Isabel Apawo. “President Frederick J. T. Chiluba of Zambia: The Christian Nation and Democracy.” Journal of Religion in Africa, vol. 33, no. 4 (2003), pp. 401–428. JSTOR.
• Brill: [Pneuma journal article].
• ResearchSpace UKZN (bitstream).
• Independent Türkçe: “Africa’s first and only declared Christian nation: Zambia.”
• Independent Türkçe: “The new face of Christianity in Africa: Pentecostalism.”
• Africa is a Country: “Lungu’s Livingstone” (2019).
• The Christian Nation Project: Haynes and contributors.

Originally published in Fokus Plus on 2 September 2025.