BISHOP ALICK BANDA LOST TRUST BY STAYING SILENT ON PF CRIMES ; FIGHTING CORRUPTION REQUIRES CONSISTENCY, NOT FAVORITISM
It will be impossible to fight corruption and the abuse of public resources in Zambia if every time someone is held accountable, we pick sides.
The recent summoning of Bishop Alick Banda by DEC highlights a harsh truth about Zambia: we are often not honest with ourselves. We have short memories that fail to reflect what a truly just society should be.
A just society protects the less privileged. For decades, the Catholic Church has been a voice for such advocacy, from highlighting the cost of living to calling out government inefficiencies. But what happens when public resources fall into the hands of a few without due process? Who protects the Church’s credibility and its advocacy then?
Consider this: the person who distributed the vehicles is in prison, yet no one is speaking out on their behalf. Why are politicians not protesting for this individual?
Bishop Alick Banda enjoyed a strong relationship with the previous administration, which likely explains why he received this gift though we have no idea how many others he may have accepted. I have challenged him, and I will continue to challenge him, to be transparent. A man of God cannot remain silent while citizens are killed, or public resources abused. Silence in the face of injustice erodes integrity.
If this is the Zambia we are building, I am deeply concerned. The Church should lead by example encouraging the government to hold everyone accountable, without fear or favor. That is how we build a better Zambia.
Had ZRA given these vehicles to churches directly, I would have welcomed it. Our citizens face serious challenges every day. Seeing a religious leader accept such gifts while staying silent on PF injustices sends the wrong message.
I maintain my gratitude to leaders like Bishop Mpundu, who confronted PF criminality. Yet, the likes of Bishop Alick Banda were dining with murderers (PF). Men like Bishop Mpundu even if I see them protesting loudly against the government today have my respect because they stood up early. Not those who watched thugs kill and abuse women in public without speaking out.
Bishop Alick Banda may gather thousands or even millions of sympathizers, but deep down, he knows he failed this country as a religious leader.
The PF administration, which killed citizens without shame, cannot be excused. I challenge him to show the day he publicly denounced these atrocities.
Zambia deserves accountability, fairness, and courage regardless of titles, positions, or influence. Anything less is a betrayal of our people.
Sikaile C. Sikaile
Sichifulo Constituency
Aspiring MP 2026
Politicial manuvers meant to consolidate power using associations of religious institutions was abnormally abused in the past and may still be used even
now.
Let us be honest with each other. Politicians understand that those who influence various groups are a target to bring close. Hence these relationships are cemented intensionally and deliberately in order to have some leverage of potential voters from the members of such organisations.
However, this should not be done at the expense of destroying well defined government procedures. Our employees the politicians are usually the invisible hand causing these problems. It is the politicians we must also interrogate as originators of such vices.
in this instance unfortunately, the litmus test on integrity was lamentably failed by the clergy. The end result is that even when the giver of gifts does wrong the receiver remains silent because of allegiance. The become a defender even of the most absurd things that ordinarily you must question.
Fortunately for us citizens the under hand method to enable the gifts have been exposed. The religious organization unsetted by the summons need to ask very deep hard questions on why their leader was found in such an abused process. Integrity and trust is definitely compromised.
However, I strongly feel that the unfortunate people caught in this incident are just the tip of the
problem. The really master minders are the invisible political hands who had a direct benefit politically. There is no other logical explanation. I can not see how the workers would benefit from denying themselves to obtain these necessary and needed assets. How would facilitating this gift to an outsider benefit them directly? But as things stand some workers may or are serving jail sentence.fkr this criminal offense.
It is sickening to notice how politics is making us loss in more ways than one.
The church in general and the Catholic Church in particular must ask itself some hard questions.
Obviously he couldn’t talk against his own party PF where he was the chief cadre in church because he was getting benefits from being PF.