By Kellys Kaunda
WHY DO CATHOLIC BISHOPS SAY BISHOP ALICK BANDA IS BEING PERSECUTED BY THE UPND GOVT?
The answer is very simple: they believe it’s because the UPND government doesn’t like his critical comments on public affairs.
And there are many Zambians who believe likewise.
Secondly, they know that the UPND government has been using the criminal justice system to respond to its critics.
And there are many Zambians who believe likewise.
Thirdly, they know the selective application of the law as practiced by government.
And there are many Zambians who know the same to be true.
For instance, the ruling party SG once insulted Bishop Banda by calling him Lucifer, in what qualified as hate speech, but the man was not prosecuted.
So, the Catholic Bishops are very much on firm ground when they characterize the summoning of Bishop Banda as persecution intended not only to silence his voice but that of the entire Catholic church.
To justify the summoning of Bishop Banda by arguing that no one is above the law is to insult the collective wisdom of the Catholic Bishops who have come to know the plight associated with consistent voices of criticism.
In fact, the majority Zambians know there’re two types of criminal justice systems in Zambia – one for government critics and another for ruling party supporters.
If you are a senior ruling party chief, you can call anybody’s gospel minister, father, husband, or brother a Lucifer and no one will touch you because you are above the law!
Make no mistake, the justification employed by DEC to summon Bishop Banda is very sound at law.
In fact, it is so sound, it makes the Catholic Bishops look unreasonable.
And that’s exactly how the UPND government wants everybody else to read into these developments.
However, read in context, the position of the Catholic Bishops become clearly reasonable and the only response and language commensurate with the double standards practiced by the government of President Hichilema.
Against this backdrop, I embrace the statement of solidarity by the Catholic Bishops as wise, fair and deeply principled.
I hope it places the UPND government on notice that Zambians are fully awake taking in every act of injustice and in due season, every wrongdoer currently hiding behind the shelter of incumbency will be given a taste of their own medicine.
One psychologist once said, “No one stretches the fibre of reality without it snapping back at them and hitting real hard”.
Alick Banda is nothing more than the product of Judas Iscariot.
The church has caused millions of deaths in the name of God. Read the history of the church and you will agree with me
They are PF cadres and they are using the PF language which, PF uses when one of it’s own is found wanting. These people think prisons where made for others other than people who are found wanting of breaching the law. Where have seen priests being streetwise? I think he is guilty and need to be jailed. DEC should push ahead.
My comment would be each time someone is offended, they report the matter and that is when your comment of dou le standard can come into play.
We need to pray right now for an amicable conclusion.
The arrogance of PF cadres like Alick Banda is that they dont believe that they are not in power any more. They still believe they are entitled to free state properties including vehicles, land and mansions. They can’t live where there is rule of the law. How did the Archbishop end up with a state Hilux? He cant even answer that question! That’s how corruption works. It taints everyone including those that preach sanity and holiness! Alick Banda has to answer those questions himself. The Vatican is actually becoming involved in a straight forward matter of theft. How does it defend one of its own? ZCCB has become a joke; it defends thieves and wrong doers. Disband it and start afresh.
You should’ve told your priest not to receive suspect gifts. He’s so political , but he needs to answer some questions that’s all and then he can go back to campaign for pf.
KELLYS, I used to hold you in very high esteem as one of the top notch journalists this country ever produced. Perhaps age is catching up with you like most of us.
Call a spade what it is and factually emphasizing, a spade can never be a spoon.
The man of the cloth received proceeds of crime wrapped in a veil called gift.
It is a well known fact that by law, if you even buy stolen property, you become an accomplice to the crime.
What is there to make noise about?
If the man was ordained as a priest, he should have known that he should not have befriended known plunderers.
Whether you know this or will pretend not to know is your choice, but Zambians will not allow their children to look upto people that posses properties which they did not work for.
Zambians will not allow wrong doers to draw multitudes to stand in the way of the law for things committed by the clergy that will not bring glory to the kingdom of the Lord.
People can be sympathetic to a person they have known to be upright, until they find out that the person they were eating with, the person they trusted their wives and children with was actually what they can now call the enemy within.
Imagine how much medicines the cost of the two hilux motor vehicles, and perhaps other things, would have bought to heal the sick!
Others died because they could not afford a panadol or pain killer, the money was spent on an individual!
Be weary of individuals that may tarnish the name of the church by bringing everyone to defend their wrong doing!
This is the most useless post I’ve ever read since the beginning of this year.Zambia is a Republic governed by the rule of law.Your spirit to contribute on this matter but you have fallen far short of it.Calling Someone Satan/Lucifer does not amount to a jail.Those in Jail are thieves and should be treated as such.Stop misleading Zambians with this nonsense write-up.It’s the mindset like yours that has landed this country in the mess it is.Celebrating thieves.