God Bless You, Emmanuel Mwamba: A Witness from Exile and a Reckoning for Zambia- Father Oscar Mwansa Pombo

God Bless You, Emmanuel Mwamba: A Witness from Exile and a Reckoning for Zambia

By Father Oscar Mwansa Pombo
Zambian Catholic priest based in Rome, Italy

I write this reflection not as a politician, not as a partisan voice, but as a Zambian priest living far from home, observing my country with prayer, concern, and honesty. Distance has a way of sharpening memory. It also clarifies conscience. From Rome, I follow Zambia closely, not through rumours or slogans, but through voices that speak consistently, calmly, and with courage. One such voice is that of Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba.

Let me state clearly. This is not hypocrisy. It is not an attempt to say something pleasant for convenience. It is a public acknowledgment rooted in experience, disagreement, correction, and truth.

In 2021, Emmanuel Mwamba stood alone.

That fact matters.

The setting was Bakwetu TV, a platform many Zambians remember well. On that day, the panel was heavy with voices. Linda Banks was there. Dr. Kasonzo was there. Dr. Chilufya was there. Patrick was there. Ifewe was there. Awakos Radio was there. Nabambi was there. The room was full. The consensus felt settled. And on the opposite side of all of us stood one man, Emmanuel Mwamba.

He was alone.

We were united in our position. He was isolated in his. We were convinced. He was firm. We were certain that Edgar Chagwa Lungu was irredeemably tainted. Mwamba insisted otherwise. He did not claim perfection. He did not deny mistakes. He argued something more uncomfortable. That the man had been painted black beyond truth. That a narrative had overtaken fairness. That judgment had arrived before evidence.

At the time, we did not listen.

History has a way of returning conversations we thought were closed. With time, facts surfaced. Legal processes unfolded. Public understanding shifted. What many of us repeated with confidence turned out to be incomplete, exaggerated, or plainly wrong. The man we believed to be beyond redemption was revealed to be human, flawed, accountable, yet not the criminal caricature that dominated public discourse.

That moment forced a reckoning.

It forced many of us to admit something difficult. Emmanuel Mwamba had been telling the truth, or at the very least, defending it when it was deeply unpopular to do so. Standing alone is not weakness. Often, it is the earliest sign of courage.

Today, look again at that Bakwetu TV panel. Apart from Bamu Kelewai, now based in Europe, most of us have shifted. Not opportunistically, but conscientiously. We have chosen to stand with the Zambian people, not with fixed camps. That shift did not happen overnight. It came through reflection, regret, and renewed responsibility.

This is why Emmanuel Mwamba’s story matters beyond personal sympathy.

After that period, pressure mounted. Attempts were made to silence him. Arrest loomed. The intention was clear to remove a dissenting voice from the public square. Mwamba left Zambia. Exile followed. Exile is not travel. It is loss. It is the loss of home, routine, identity, and dignity. It is the daily effort to prove one respects the law while living away from the very country that should protect that right.

Many in exile disappear into bitterness or silence. Emmanuel Mwamba did not.

Instead, he transformed exile into service. From a small room, with limited means, he built a platform that now reaches millions. His podcast, EMV, has become more than commentary. It is a civic forum. It is listened to by ordinary citizens, professionals, clergy, and members of the diaspora across Africa and Europe. I know this because priests, nuns, bishops, and European colleagues speak to me about it.

What draws them is not noise. It is tone.

Mwamba speaks with sobriety. He respects the government even when challenging it. He speaks truth without insults. He does not shout. He does not ridicule. In a digital age driven by outrage, that restraint is powerful. It invites listening rather than reaction.

As a priest, I also observe character. Beyond politics, I have discovered in Emmanuel Mwamba something deeper. Humanity. Ubuntu. A concern for those without voice. A sensitivity to suffering that is not selective. These qualities cannot be manufactured. They are revealed under pressure.

I say this openly. If I were to endorse a presidential candidate based on personal conscience alone, Emmanuel Mwamba would be among those I would consider. That statement is not electoral instruction. It is moral assessment. Zambia needs leaders shaped by endurance, humility, and truth, not just ambition.

God’s ways are not rushed. Those who sought to silence him inadvertently expanded his audience. Those who pushed him into exile placed him in a position to speak more freely, more widely, and more responsibly. From that small room, he now speaks to millions. They listen because they recognise sincerity.

I also write this as an admission. I was wrong in 2021. Many of us were. Owning that error is part of national healing. Zambia will not move forward unless public figures learn to say, “We were mistaken.”

From Rome, I continue to pray for Zambia. Our country remains blessed. Our democracy, though strained, still breathes. Every voice still matters, whether spoken from State House, Parliament, or exile.

Emmanuel Mwamba has earned his place in that national conversation.

Whether in Zambia or abroad, God is with you. God’s time is exact. Truth, even when delayed, always returns with clarity.

God bless you, Emmanuel Mwamba.