RESPONSE TO THE ZCCB STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY REGARDING THE SUMMONS OF ARCHBISHOP ALICK BANDA
House of Clergy Zambia
4th January 2026
The House of Clergy Zambia acknowledges and respects the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) for their pastoral concern and solidarity with Archbishop Alick Banda. The Catholic Church has played, and continues to play, a vital role in shaping Zambia’s moral conscience, promoting justice, peace, and the dignity of all people. This contribution remains valued and respected.
However, it is important to offer a balanced and clarifying perspective in the interest of national cohesion, institutional integrity, and the rule of law.
First and foremost, this matter must be clearly understood as neither a dispute between the State and the Catholic Church, nor between the Government and the Church, nor between the President and the Catholic Church. It is also not an attack on Christianity, the episcopacy, or the Church’s prophetic mission. Rather, it concerns an individual who has been summoned to assist with inquiries in a specific matter of an administrative and legal nature.
The summons issued by the Drug Enforcement Commission does not relate to Archbishop Banda’s sermons, pastoral advocacy, public commentary, or his well-known voice in speaking for the poor and marginalized. It does not arise from his stance on governance or his moral oversight of national affairs. The matter under inquiry, as publicly indicated by DEC , relates to a specific issue concerning a motor vehicle, and nothing more.
Framing this lawful inquiry as “state-sponsored persecution” or as an attempt to suppress the Church’s prophetic voice risks mischaracterising the situation and unnecessarily elevating a personal legal matter into an institutional confrontation. Such framing may inadvertently create public misunderstanding and tension where none is required.
Zambia is a constitutional democracy founded on the principle that all citizens are equal before the law, regardless of office, title, religious standing, or social status. Supporting the rule of law does not negate respect for the Church, nor does it diminish the moral authority of religious leaders. On the contrary, allowing lawful processes to proceed without intimidation or pre-judgment strengthens both State institutions and moral leadership.
The House of Clergy Zambia therefore supports the Government’s position that investigative institutions must be allowed to carry out their mandates professionally, independently, and without undue pressure. This should not be construed as hostility toward the Catholic Church, but rather as fidelity to constitutional order and justice.
We further caution against the politicisation of this matter. Attempts by political actors or commentators to recast a legal inquiry into a political or religious standoff are unhelpful and risk polarising the nation. Zambia has a proud history of constructive Church–State engagement rooted in mutual respect, dialogue, and national interest.
We urge all stakeholders—including Church leaders, political leaders, and the public—to exercise restraint in language and action, and to allow due process to take its course. Dialogue and mutual respect, as rightly emphasized by the ZCCB, must indeed remain our guiding principles.
The House of Clergy Zambia reaffirms its commitment to peace, justice, accountability, and national unity, under our shared motto: One Zambia, One Nation. These values are best upheld when institutions are respected, truth is pursued calmly, and no individual or institution is placed above the law.
May wisdom, sobriety, and good faith guide us all in this moment.
Issued by:
Rev Jimmy Ng’ambi
National Executive Director -House of Clergy Zambia
This is a sobre, mature and intelligent analysis of the current situation about Alick Banda and Catholics. This Catholic Bishops think they are bigger and better than all other religious groups. In fact they think they are above the law. This is wrong. They are human after all and they should also be accountable to the same laws as everyone else. The issue is very simple: How did the Archbishop find himself in illegal ownership of the state vehicle? This is a question that only Alick Banda can answer definitively. So let him go to DEC and answer. That’s all; everything else is diversionary.
This entire fracas could have been avoided had Bishop Banda quietly gone to the DEC offices and come out without any fanfare.Now,Banda’s pride has attracted political chancers like tu Membe and ka Kalaba like flies to a piece of bog