Bishop Alick Banda’s Hilux gift from PF has dented the body of Christ – Mansa Bishop
Bishop Maxwell Luchile, a Mansa-based clergyman says the Zambia Revenue Authority-owned Toyota Hilux gifted to Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda by the PF while it was on power has damaged the image of the Church.
On Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Court sentenced former Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda to six years in prison for irregularly gifting government vehicles to Patriotic Front sympathizers, including Archbishop Banda.
In December 2023, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) seized a Toyota Hilux registration number ALF 7734, which had been gifted to Archbishop Banda.
A seizure notice issued by DEC’s Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit indicated that the vehicle had been handed over to the Commission by Archbishop Banda’s lawyer, John Sangwa, on December 27, 2023.
The vehicle was among 22 government vehicles that the ZRA disposed of without following procedure.
During court proceedings in September 2024, former ZRA Board Secretary Suzyo Ng’andu testified that Archbishop Banda, Derick Mpundu, and Heart of Mercy were among the beneficiaries who received vehicles without payment.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Court later found that the vehicles had been irregularly issued, leading to the conviction of Chanda and his co-accused, former ZRA Director of Administration Callistus Kaoma.
In a Facebook post, Bishop Luchile who is the General Overseer of Calvary Life Bible Church in Zambia and the Executive Director of the civil society group Vision Network said the matter should serve as a lesson to learn for the clergy.
He also wondered why the church has been quiet over the matter.
“This vehicle was gifted to His Grace Archbishop Alick Banda and later recovered by DEC. It was among the many from ZRA for which ba Kingsley Chanda is jailed.”
“The question here is why we have chosen to be mute. This motoka has made a dent on the body of Christ and we have lessons to learn. Umutulo baukonkela, basenda ba DEC,” said Bishop Luchile.
The church should desist from accepting donations from politicians, including our President, Mr. Hichilema.
Once they do so, they become compromised and will find it very difficult to criticise the donor if he commits a wrong. Politicians also lose respect for the church and God. Let us be reminded of what the chief priests said after Judas tried to return the thirty pieces of silver he was paid for betraying Jesus. Mathew 27:6, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money”.
A logic extention of blood money would include resources obtained by fraud, corruption, theft, abuse of authority, misapplication of public resources or any other illegal activity.
The church must learn to live within its means. 1Timothy 6:6, 7 “But godliness (righteousness) with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it”.
The Bishop should resign. If he has even a single grain of integrity. You can not continue as if it is business as usual. But knowing the greed and lawlessness that is hiding behind religiosity, this will never happen.
Mr Hakainde Hichilema has been dishing out Millions to Churches, Church Choirs.
The only Bishop who rejected the gift , K800,000.00 was the Catholic Church Bishop of Luapula Province..Mansa Diocese.
UCZ, Reformed church in Zambia, Baptist church, SDA , Pentecostal Churches you name it, they all have been receiving Gifts from Mr Hakainde Hichilema.
These churches receive the money from a person who has refused to publicly declare his Assets. Where is he getting the money he is throwing around?
The Zambia Revenue authority disposed off it’s assets, as it does regularly and selected certain charities, for which the Catholic Church Lady of Mercy was a beneficiary. Let the government or ZRA release the list of all beneficiaries.
Arch Bishop Dr Alick Banda never received any vehicle in his personal capacity, and the parish has since returned the vehicle to ZRA.
So which body of Christ has been tainted?.
The Body of Christ is daily being tainted by Papas Climbing wall fences , sleeping with other people ‘s Wives, destroying Homes through fake Prophecies …and you , the hopeless Sponsored Bishop is quiet.
Give Dr Alick Banda a break.
Abena wanu hundred imbeciles,
HH is gifting the churches from his own resources.
The man is a millionaire cattle rancher. A few months ago he sold several dozen bulls at auction. This information is in the public domain. Unlike the thieves from the previous regime who even had the audacity to withdraw 11 million US dollars cash from our national treasury account from a bank in Turkey, transport the hard cash by presidential jet to Zambia, HH has nothing to hide and even donates his presidential salary to struggling UNZA students.
So please do not compare HH with your gang of thieves.
Ba Malikopo, how certain are you that the President, Mr. Hichilema, is using personal resources to make the donations? Are you privy to the details? Or you are just assuming that because he is rich, he can splash cash around?
The bottom line is the church should not accept donations from politicians. That way, they will not bring God’s name into disrepute. And by church I mean the church in general not just the Catholic church.
Abena JMC,
Don’t assume that because you are living hand to mouth and paying 80% of yowa salary to loan sharks that this is the case with everyone.
The burden of proof lies with the accuser. Just go to State House and ask for the information. There are people who are not merely comfortable, but have generational wealth that will look after their children’s chikdren. Financially literate people plan for the nextc3 generations. While you are just planning for the weekend.
Ba Malikopo, I am very happy to live hand to mouth. But I still maintain that even the rich do steal. It is a matter of the heart not the quantity.
Greed knows no status.
Pany0 pak0!HH has been spending his own money from his businesses idiot.He has been sponsoring students even before he became the president. He is not only a commercial farmer, but he is having other businesses as a source of income.A foreigner like you from Lubumbashi wouldn’t know that…The HH government is anchored on the rule of law, and on the premises that you break the law, you are on your own.HH beat you in 2021 and stopped your people from looting or benefiting from public resources and today is the reason you hate him idiots.People who appreciate what HH has achieved is not you and you have never been. Keep lamenting. They will vote for him massively.And where is that failure to recognise HH as head of state steaming from? Just bcos HH defeated Lungu in 2021?We have people like you who are foreigners trying to bring confusion in Zambia,lets tell you that it will never work! Sometimes just shut up
The church especially my church, the Catholic my not get into politics too much. Soon people, especially women will start coming out mentioning things that should not be known. These guys we know them for their good life behind robes. It can only take one courageous investigative journalist to open the tin if worms. Let them not throw stones if they live in glass houses.