By Rev Dr Japhet Ndhlovu – Nairobi, Kenya
Zambia recently lost a great
son of the soil. A Zambian giant of family, religious, political, and moral
conscience stepped off the stage into the arms of the God who saved his soul
and made him in many ways a statesman and many good things to many people. The Rev Foston Dziko Sakala went to be with
the Lord on Tuesday 12th June, 2012 at the University Teaching Hospital
after an illness. He was put to rest at Kanakantapa in Lusaka East near his
retirement home.
When all is said and done, it
is not about how long we lived, but rather how well we lived life in the years
that God the Creator alloted us. Reverend Sakala touched more lives than most
will ever realise in his excellent service to God and humanity. The writer of this tribute, who was his ardent student, is one
such grateful life.
Family
Reverend Sakala was 78 years
old at the time of his death. He enjoyed 58 years of marriage to his dear wife,
Emelia Sakala, who has survived him. God blessed them with twelve
children—three of whom have already passed away—and several grand children.
They trained their children in the ways of the Lord and general humanity. Reverend
Sakala insisted that all his children receive respectable formal education from
very good institutions of learning.
Ecclesiastical life
Rev Sakala was an ordained
minister of the Word and Sacraments in the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ). He
served God faithfully through the RCZ and in very high and important ranks until
he honourably retired from active ministry upon attaining the age of 65. Yet
among his many protégés he was popularly and fondly known simply as “abusa FD” (pastor FD). He preached and
lived the gospel of Jesus Christ. A great number of people were introduced to
faith in Jesus Christ through his life and ministry.
Being an ardent believer in
the value of formal education, he served the RCZ as its Education Secretary to
promote education through the RCZ learning institutions. He trained hundreds of
young people who eventually became ministers of the Word and Sacraments in the
Reformed churches of Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. Some
of these are now serving God in other countries such as Kenya, Canada, Sierra
Leone, Australia, and the USA.
Service to country and region
Rev Sakala was a man of many
accomplishments who served his country and region faithfully, diligently, and
with great commitment and honour. He had the rare honour and privilege to serve
as Chairperson, President, Trustee, or Executive Committee Member in a
multitude of organisations. These included:
- Long serving Principal of Justo Mwale Theological
College in Lusaka;
- Chairman and Trustee of the Bible Society of Zambia;
- Vice Chairperson and long serving member of the Citizenship
Board of Zambia under the Ministry of Home Affairs;
- One of the first appointees of the Commissioners of The
Human Rights Commission;
- Chairman and later Trustee of Mindolo Ecumenical
Foundation Board;
- President of the Christian Council of Zambia;
- Board member at World Vision Zambia;
- Chairman and Board member at Multi-Media Zambia;
- Executive Committee Member of the Southern Africa
Alliance of Reformed Churches;
- Executive Committee Member of the Reformed
Ecumenical Council;
- Board member of the Churches Health Association of
Zambia (CHAZ);
- Founding President of the Foundation for Democratic
Process (FODEP);
Reverend Sakala was such a
brave advocate for justice that when the local outspoken voice of conscience,
Bishop John Mambo, was about to be deported for what could be termed as
‘politically motivated reasons’, he gathered the required courage to face the
then very powerful and feared President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda (KK), to
successfully plead for Bishop Mambo’s release. The powers-that-be then (United
National Independence Party) had wanted to silence Bishop Mambo, who believed
in the non-violent struggle for justice and peace, from talking openly and
without fear about matters of good governance in Zambia.
Reverend Sakala believed in
democracy and the rule of law and thus actively participated in the
re-introduction of multi-party politics in Zambia. In 1990/91, a while before
the multi-party democracy storm engulfed the country, he showed rare courage by
telling the all-powerful KK, that the era of one party participatory democracy
was no longer sustainable in Zambia.
Reverend Sakala became a
member of the leading team of clerics under Anglican Bishop Stephen Mumba that brought
KK and the leaders of the opposition political parties, led by the late Dr FJT
Chiluba, to agree on an historic road map to the multi-party elections of 1991.
Reverend Sakala’s role as President of FODEP speaks volumes of how he
championed transparent, free, democratic, and fair elections in the country.
Reverend Sakala used his high profile to campaign for the emancipation of the
oppressed, to defend human rights, and to fight HIV/AIDS, ignorance, disease,
poverty, and racism.
Service to the world
Reverend Sakala was an ardent believer in the dignity of all
human beings and as such he promoted the culture of human rights for all. His
clear Christian
leadership made global impact as he provided leadership for the global church
family, especially in the years of apartheid. His stance was clear—the church
should not tolerate such a grave injustice on humanity. He articulated this constantly as a member of
the Executive Committee of the Reformed Ecumenical Council—one of the
antecedent bodies of the World Communion of Reformed Churches in the 1980s.
Reverend Sakala contributed
in a small way to the dismantling of this evil system of racial segregation
(apartheid) in South Africa. This he did by actively engaging the Dutch
Reformed Church’s leadership in South Africa over the subject, and also by
raising his voice in ecumenical bodies such as the Reformed Ecumenical Council
on this matter. He served this body at the same time that Rev Dr Allan Boesak of
South Africa was also in the leadership. Reverend Sakala went as far as
arranging a meeting between President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and President P
W Botha of South Africa which took place at Katima Muliro border town. The
purpose was to allow Dr Kenneth Kaunda, as a strong moral voice of the then Frontline
States, to prevail upon President Botha about the need to dismantle the evil
system of apartheid by starting legislative processes, the return of refugees (including
Thabo Mbeki, who by then lived in Lusaka), and the release of all political
prisoners (including the great Nelson Mandela).
Reverend Sakala was a modern day prophet. In
the opinion of this writer, the true prophets of today are those who see the
evil in this world and speak out and/or write against it in the hope of turning
people away from such evil and back to the created and heavenly intent of
God. Unlike Old Testament prophets, prophets of our own times are people
who fearlessly call on both the faithful and the powers-that-be to remain true
to the positive ideals and values of love, compassion, and justice and that is
exactly what Rev Sakala did throughout his life. He was a true champion and
friend of the poor and oppressed both in Zambia and beyond. He led several
delegations to Heads of States and to government leaders, be they Ministers or Permanent
Secretaries, to champion one moral cause or another.
The message of condolences sent to the RCZ and
the Sakala family by the General Secretary of the world Communion of Reformed
Churches, the Rev Dr Setri Nyomi from Geneva- Switzerland, further testifies to
the great man Reverend Sakala was. The message read, “We received the news of the home-going of our brother,
Rev. Foston Dziko Sakala with much sadness.
We thank God for the impact of Rev. Sakala’s leadership”.
His never wavering sight of God
Though Reverend Sakala became
a giant in his role as spokesperson for, and defender of, justice and truth, and
as he gained popularity and affection for exhorting the Zambian people to non-violent
struggle for justice and peace, he never lost his simple faith in God and pious
devotion and love for the Saviour of his soul. He was truly committed to Jesus
Christ and the cause of the gospel. He often said to those of us who sat in his
theology classes that he was doing what he was
doing motivated by his faith in Jesus Christ. He was a true voice of religious and
moral conscience.
As did the great
Patriarch Jacob, father of the Israelite nation in Genesis 47 verse 29 onwards,
when it was clear he was about to die, Reverend Sakala sufficiently prepared his family for his passing on and
even arranged in some way his own funeral service. He then prayed, breathed his
last, and he was gone from this world.
He was indeed a man of great
faith in a great God. He went through great trials but exhibited great
commitment. He has left a great legacy and great inspiration for Zambians. As believers
in Jesus Christ, we believe that what awaits this great son of his country, labourer
in the Church and servant of God, Reverend Foston Dziko Sakala, is a great
reward which God our father will give not only to him but also to all who love
the appearing of our Lord and his son, Jesus Christ.
May we all emulate him!
(The author is Head of School of Theology,
Presbyterian University of East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. He is the former General Secretary of the
Council of Churches in Zambia and also former Spokesperson of the Oasis Forum
in Zambia.)
