BISHOP ALICK BANDA IS NOT JESUS CHRIST TO BE SPARED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
The Catholic Church has been one of the religious institutions that has stood firm against the abuse of power and public resources in our nation. Its voice has always been loud and clear where national wellbeing, development, and the fight against poverty are concerned.
Between the struggles of 2016 and 2021, I had the honour and privilege of interacting with many Catholic leaders in our quest to hold the PF administration accountable after it had turned its back on the laws of Zambia. This is why I have a lot of respect for the Catholic Church.
Even after the 2021 transition, some of you may recall that I wrote an official letter to the Catholic Church urging it not to ignore the Milingo Lungu saga involving over USD 20 million. I specifically called upon voices such as Bishop Alick Banda, who is on record stating that “a wrong is a wrong and cannot be ignored.” Law enforcement agencies later established that some government properties, allegedly stolen or criminally obtained, were in his possession. The matter is now before the courts, and for that reason, I will not delve into details.
However, let us be clear: one Catholic leader found wanting under the laws of Zambia cannot and should not be used as a reference point for judging all Catholic leaders or members in Zambia. That is absolutely wrong. Those attempting to frame this matter as a government fight against the Catholic Church are misguided unless one has a criminal mindset. Let us be realistic and focus on actions that will help build our nation. There’s no foreigner nom matter how they can sweet talk us will build Zambia apart from we the Zambians ourselves.
The Catholic Church has consistently updated the nation on rising poverty levels and the struggles families face to feed themselves. This is commendable. But how can poverty end if some individuals are beneficiaries of the looting of public resources, as this case appears to suggest? Where is leadership in such circumstances?
The narrative that President Hakainde Hichilema will lose elections because his government is pursuing those who stole public resources is irrational. If leadership requires protecting individuals accused of corruption, then I would rather support a government that loses elections for standing on integrity and accountability. There is honour in that.
Since 1964, a clique of individuals has feasted on public resources. As long as they thrive, they care little about ordinary citizens. Today, we see dilapidated road networks, floods in Lundazi washing away old bridges, and poor infrastructure in Katombola and Sichifulo Constituencies. Millions of Zambians continue to live undignified lives while a few elites enjoy stolen wealth. This situation demands clearer and firmer communication from Catholic Church leadership in Zambia.
The Catholic Church must clearly state its position rather than allowing this issue to be reduced to political theatrics. Is it morally right for individuals to be receiving vehicles when our rural farmers use ox carts to ferry their beloved ones to the clinics?
I have never seen, nor do I recall, Bishop Alick Banda publicly condemning PF-era corruption and brutality as a religious leader. The PF regime presided over the killing of citizens such as Lawrence Banda and sheltered individuals like Shebby Chilekwa at State House where Bishop Alick Banda was known to visit. In contrast, leaders like Bishop Mpundu openly condemned these crimes. Why, then, has DEC or ACC not summoned Bishop Mpundu? These distinctions matter and help us understand individual conduct.
I have also noted Bishop Alick Banda’s persistent hostility towards President Hakainde Hichilema, despite efforts by the current government to rebuild a country damaged by individuals associated with him. Bishop Alick Banda is an individual actor, and as far as public record shows, he was driving the alleged stolen Hilux as an individual.
Had the vehicle been officially given to the Catholic Church, I would have had no objection. Churches play a vital role in national development, operating schools, health facilities, and other essential services. Such institutions deserve lawful government support.
We must build a Zambia where hard work not privilege or corruption is the pathway to success. It is painful to see individuals acquire wealth freely while others labour all year without achieving meaningful progress. Public resources must be acquired transparently and lawfully. A crime must remain a crime.
You cannot turn the alleged wrongdoing of one individual into a confrontation between the HH government and the innocent Catholic Church. That is misleading and unfair. Bishop Alick Banda allegedly received the gift alone, used it alone, and therefore must answer for it alone.
The Catholic Church is on record in other parts of the world including Vatican City where courts of law have sentenced high-profile Catholic Church leaders for abuse of authority or involvement in wrongdoing. Bishop Alick Banda is therefore not the first, nor a special case, to be summoned.
These revelations compel one to ask whether they were the very motivations that blinded Bishop Alick Banda to the brutality and corruption of the Lungu-led administration. Were these the ‘gifts’ that bought his silence so complete that he failed to condemn the moral outrage of sheltering a murderer at State House by former president Mr. Lungu? History will judge, but the questions will not go away.
Sikaile C. Sikaile
Good Governance and Human Rights Activist
Aspirant Member of Parliament, Sichifulo Constituency – 2026
The Victimisation of the Catholic Church under this government is clear and visible.
From Kabwe , Chipata , Ndola, Solwezi and Lusaka , it has played in public space and documented. Not too long ago a Bishop was insulting the Catholic Church Clergy in the presence of the President, and he was there as the Audience were clapping to whatever the so called Bishop was saying..To date there hasn’t been any statement disassociating the President from the views of this Bishop… Welcomed back even at the declaration of 29th December as a Holiday.
For your information, Sikaile for you seem to have selective Amnesia
The Police went into the Office of the Bishop of Kabwe , Surrounded the churches in Ndola, even searching Congregants, Sealed of the Pope Square church in Lusaka…and many other cases showing a pattern of victimisation against the Church and it’s Clergy.
Talk of the unprintables and Insults on Clergy including the Arch Bishop Dr Alick Banda, Archbishop Lungu of Chipata…Not even the retired Arch Bishop Telesphore Mpundu has been spared.
It’s the Church which is under attack and the Arch Bishop Dr Alick Banda, because he is out spoken on his views , is being used as figure head.
Hakainde has been donating Millions to Churches, obviously to buy their loyalty.
The Catholic Church has remained stead fast and has refused to accept these donations coming a few months before elections.
If Hakainde can’t buy the loyalty of the Catholic Church, to turn it into a legion of Praise Singers for him, then he must Suppress those seen as visible in their Criticism of his government.
There were 22 reciepients of ZRA both Individuals and institutions..Why is the Arch Bishop Dr Alick Banda being singled out alone leaving the other 21 Recipients?
Hakainde thinks he can isolate Arch Bishop Dr Alick Banda from the Catholic Church. He will lamentably fail.
And I don’t know whether there’s Sifulo Constituency in Zambia. You seem to be privy to the Delimitation Report and the new Constituencies. This is a crime,and you can be arrested.
Sikaile Sikaile and Ngande Mwananjiti are some of the Governance experts and Human Rights Activists that I hold in high esteem. The gentleman are non confrontational to the government or anyone, they don’t impose or fight to impose their ideas on any one, they respect other people’s opinions including that of the government. Hence we don’t see these squabbles which we see between some priests and the government, maybe they don’t see it themselves. The approach matters a lot in handling issues, when someone raises an issue or an opinion, the point raised can be very genuine but the approach is bad, then everything is spoiled. The moment you become confrontational and try to go to an extent of imposing your opinions on people is where things go wrong. For example, Sikaile Sikaile had observed that Bishop Alick Banda has been persistently hostile towards President Hakainde Hichilema, despite efforts by the current government to rebuild a country damaged by individuals associated with him. He went on to say that had the vehicle been officially given to the Catholic Church, then I would have had no objection. I am sure this is the position of everyone. If the said vehicle had ZRA issues, the Church should have seen how best it could have normalized issues.
Sikaile Sikaile has given us a very good example. The arrest took place in the Vatican which is the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, this case happened in December, 2023. And when it happened, no one blamed the Pope because it was the law taking its course. The Pope is not the law and the law is not the Pope. Equally in Zambia, HH is not the law and the law is not HH. The law should be allowed to take its course on any one regardless of one’s status in the society. But there are some useless activists and propagandists who are always bent on blaming HH on whatever issue that happens in Zambia. That’s being detrimental to development, the Church should feel happy because the name of the Church cannot be tarnished by one corrupt priest. I believe that is why Vatican left this Cardinal to be arrested. It shows that the governance systems are strong because the laws are applied to everyone. Ngande Mwananjiti is saying that in
Governance and Corruption we should always rely on the governance institutions that we the people through our Constitution have put in place. Ngande says that good governance relies on accountability, transparency, rule of law, participation, responsiveness, effectiveness, and equity. This is very true because the law is applicable to everyone, if the embezzler or the corrupt priest can be arrested in the Vatican, why should the embezzler or the corrupt priest be tolerated here in Zambia? This is where many people miss it. We need to be as objective as possible when we debate or comment on national issues. Summoning of Archbishop Alick Banda does not signal a fight between the Catholic Church and the government, far from it. It doesn’t make any sense at all, if the mere summoning of the Catholic Priest is seen as fighting the Church, what about the arrest in the Vatican? Whom was the Vatican government fighting? Can the Church fight itself? No it can’t. Did anyone blame the Pope? No. Do we have to blame HH here Zambia because a Catholic Priest has been summoned by DEC? No.
So let’s allow DEC to carry out its job, and by nature of its job, DEC is mandated to summon anyone apart from the President who at least still enjoys immunity whilst in office. No one should be allowed to dodge the law under the disguise of tribe, Church or societal status. As Zambian and a Brother, I like Archbishop Alick Banda but I don’t support these un necessary hostilities towards the president and his government.
What has the name of Jesus Christ to do with the Archbishop Alick Banda’s case? Please, don’t cheapen the name of Jesus by attaching it to such human failings.
It is blasphemy.