ALICK BANDA AND BRIAN MUNDUBILE: TWO CASES, ONE BIG QUESTION – BUT IS POLITICS THE ISSUE?
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Authored By; Mupishi Jones
Can any objective and rational Zambian look at these two cases without asking a deeper question?
Is every DEC or ACC summon now political persecution?
My take is NO.
Let’s start with Archbishop Alick Banda.
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) summoned the Archbishop over investigations surrounding a Toyota Hilux, registration ALF 7734, which authorities say was allegedly unlawfully obtained from ZRA. The DEC has said the matter is part of an investigation and that Banda was given an opportunity to explain how he came into possession of the vehicle. He was later warned and cautioned, while investigations continue.
Now, immediately some people jumped and said this is an attack on the Catholic Church!
But is it fair to conclude that simply because the person being questioned is a Catholic Archbishop, then it is persecution?
The DEC’s position has been very clear: No one is above the law. The investigation concerns the vehicle and how it was acquired, not someone’s religious position.
We have seen this before. During the PF of Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, we saw a cocktail of power and arrogance where cadres banned citizens from markets and bus stations with impunity. Today, if an institution says “come and explain how you acquired this government vehicle,” is that persecution or is that simply the law doing its job?
Then we have Brian Mundubile.
His case is much further along legally. He was formally charged by the ACC over allegations involving corrupt acquisition of public property connected to road contracts worth about K1.5 billion and companies linked to him, Build Trust and Omni. The allegation is that payments were made for works which were not completed.
But his defence disputes that account. His lawyers have pointed to government inspection and certification of some of the works and even previous public remarks by Local Government Minister Gary Nkombo praising the contractors’ work.
So here is where things get interesting.
One man is being investigated over a government vehicle. Another is facing criminal charges over government-funded road contracts. Both are prominent critics of government. And both have supporters who believe politics may be somewhere in the background.
But suspicion is NOT proof!
At the same time, government institutions cannot simply say, “We are investigating,” and expect citizens to stop asking questions. If the cases are genuine, then the evidence should eventually speak for itself.
Personally, I don’t think summoning Archbishop Banda automatically means there is a war against the Catholic Church. And I don’t think charging Brian Mundubile automatically means the government is persecuting him either.
But I also don’t think government should be offended when people ask difficult questions.
The real test is whether these institutions can follow the evidence, apply the law consistently and allow the accused to defend themselves.
Because if Zambia is serious about fighting corruption, then it cannot matter whether the person involved is a politician, an Archbishop, a businessman or an ordinary citizen.
The law must be bigger than politics.
The law must be bigger than our emotions.
And now the question for you Zambians: Are these simply anti-corruption investigations doing their job, or do you think the political circumstances surrounding both cases deserve closer scrutiny?
Mupishi Jones
Political Analyst
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