Скачать или смотреть Hon. Brian Mundubile's Statement on the Summons of the Archbishop of Lusaka, Alick Banda by the DEC

Fellow Zambians, at a time when all the right-thinking Zambians are celebrating Christmas and marking the beginning of the Year of Our Lord 2026, I never imagined that Government would be planning to arrest the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Zambia, the Archbishop of Lusaka, His Eminence Dr. Alick Banda.

We are all aware that Archbishop Banda, a vocal patriotic patron of not just his Church but a good shepherd of the country’s poor and vulnerable, has been for some time now the target of so much vitriol and malicious attacks from the ruling party and Government leaders, all because of standing for and defending the interests of ordinary Zambians.

He has been insulted and called all sorts of vile names I refuse to repeat, all because he has criticised the leadership and stewardship of the UPND Government and its leader, President Hakainde Hichilema.

Even as I find it shocking to see this turn of events, it definitely isn’t surprising coming from a Government that has systematically shrunk Zambia’s democratic space, jailed opposition leaders and vocal critics, crowning it all with passing the odious and unconstitutional Amendment Bill No. 7 of 2025.

And now they want to start the year by silencing the Church and its loudest voice, Archbishop Alick Banda, in this Christian Nation.

I have personally interacted with the Archbishop on various issues of national importance and can truly attest to his passionate love for Zambia and his flock.

This Governmental overreach is a grave injustice and a slap in the face of the Church in Zambia. Again, it should not surprise us coming from a Government that scattered a massive prayer meeting for reasons best known to themselves.

It is not a time issue to righteous indignation, but to take stock of every abuse we have suffered under the UPND as we race to this year’s General Election. May God bless our great Republic and I wish you all a prosperous New Year.

When they came for us the political opponents, we all thought it would end there, but no — they appear to have been emboldened by the silence of the people.

They have done everything to silence even our peaceful protests. They have denied all opposition parties the right to assemble and meet, except the ones they have compromised. That is not democracy.

Enough is enough! Let every patriotic voter make a conscious decision to use his or her powerful right to vote and expel the UPND from Government in August this year.