HEADMAN DISMISSES CHURCH PERSECUTION CLAIMS OVER ARCHBISHOP BANDA ARREST.
By John Shikabe
Village headman Tembwe Tembwe Biggie Chiiya, has dismissed claims of church persecution following the arrest of Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Alick Banda, insisting the matter concerns an individual who has found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Speaking on the issue, Headman Tembwe Tembwe has urged Catholic faithful to remain prayerful and not be unsettled by the developments.
He stressed that the case involves Archbishop Banda as an individual and does not target the Catholic Church as an institution.
“There is no church persecution here. It is only an individual who is Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Alick Banda who has found himself on the other side of the law,” the traditional leader said.
Mr. Chiiya further appealed to the Catholic Church administration at the Vatican to consider disciplinary action against Archbishop Banda.
He described such a step as necessary to safeguard the reputation of the Church in society.
The headman also praised the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for its work.
He commended the agency for remaining committed to its statutory mandate of investigating and prosecuting financial crimes through lawful and evidence-based processes.
The remarks come amid public discussion surrounding the Archbishop’s arrest, with Headman Tembwe Tembwe positioning the matter as a personal legal issue rather than an attack on the broader Catholic community