SOME members of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) have expressed unwavering solidarity with the Archbishop of Lusaka, Alick Banda, and the Catholic faithful across the country following what it describes as sustained attacks on the Church’s mission and leadership.
However, those members haven’t commented on or given their views regarding the Toyota Hilux, a property of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, that left the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) yard dubiously and was found with one of its high priest.
We find it interesting when a government Toyota Hilux entered the vineyard, the saints were quiet, now that the law wants to inquire how the government vehicle entered the Vineyard, some members of the ZCCB want to claim that there is a Boer that has entered the Vineyard. 
We are not attacking the church because we are also members of the same church
It is unfair and subjective to frame this lawful inquiry as “State-sponsored persecution” or an attempt to suppress the Church’s prophetic voice.
It is double standard to speak only when it affects one of your persons and keep quiet when the State resources are looted and abused in broad daylight.
It must also be clearly understood that there is no dispute between the State and the Catholic Church, nor between the President and the Catholic Church.
These illusions are being created by Emmanuel Mwamba, Fred M’membe, KBF, and Mundubile. The Catholic church and government enjoy cordial relations evidenced by the visit to the Vatican by resident Hakainde Hichilema.
Those desperate politicians who want to use the name of the catholic church did not comment when vehicles, which were supposed to be disposed off through an internal tender process for ZRA staff, were instead reserved for the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF), for campaign activities.
For starters, when the PF lost power in 2021, the office of the Auditor General (AG) conducted an audit at ZRA and discovered some irregularities, including the despoil of 22 vehicles bought using tax payer’s money were given to PF for use during campaigns.
In order to track these vehicles, the AG went to RATSA to check records, which indicated that the ownership of one of the ZRA vehicles a Toyota Hilux registration number ALF 7734 had changed.
The said motor vehicle was registered in the name of Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda and not the Catholic Church or any organisations under the church.
Remember that the cars were initially part of an approved list of those on an internal tender for ZRA workers. However, the enlisted used cars in better condition were removed from an internal tender and later awarded to the PF using ZRA employees’ details.
On 27th December 2023, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) seized the vehicle from Archbishop Alick Banda through his legal representatives!
According to court records, during the court case involving former ZRA Commissioner Kingsley Chanda, former ZRA Board Secretary Suzyo Ng’andu testified that Archbishop Banda benefited from the ZRA vehicles that dubiously left the institution.
Sources have revealed that some ZRA staff who purportedly bought the auctioned vehicles claimed to have no knowledge that they had procured those same cars.
For example, in 2018, 14 vehicles where approved for auction to members of staff by the board and three of the 14 were sold to non members of staff, in fact they were not sold but just given to a person.
So what is the hullaballoo all about? Where is the silencing of the Church here? In court, an individual who belongs to the church was mentioned and not the church. Where has a Boer entered the vineyard from?
The church has further went to claim that it views the summoning of Bishop Banda as part of a broader pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing the Church’s prophetic voice and punishing the high priest for his stance against governance and accountability.
ZCCB is dishonest and not telling the truth. Bishop Banda’s call out has nothing to do with the church. The Church is not a taxpayer. The DEC wants its questions to be answered in the property of TAX payers.
It is deeply regrettable that a few individuals are attempting to drag the entire Catholic Church into partisan politics in relation to the summoning of Archbishop Alick Banda by the DEC.
These attempts being perpetrated by Fred M’membe, Brebnar Changala, Brian Mundubile and others do not represent the Catholic Church in Zambia, nor do they reflect the values of justice, truth, and unity that the Church stands for.
Why are people applying double standards? They preach about respect for the Rule of Law, but when it is applied, people want to claim otherwise.
Across the world, including within the Catholic Church high-ranking clergy, even those above the rank of Archbishop, can be summoned, investigated, and prosecuted by lawful authorities. In such cases, the Church has not interfered with due process.
When did asking questions regarding a government property become a crime in Zambia?
The DEC should do their constitutional mandate without due influence, manipulations, or interference from the external forces.
Stop abusing the church and stop using God’s name falsely. It is a sin to do so. Third of the ten commandments forbid such behaviour.
