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Some stakeholders have criticised the government, acting through the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), for summoning Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda in connection with undisclosed investigations, describing the move as politically motivated.
According to a formal notice dated December 31, 2025, the Commission directed Archbishop Banda to report to the Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit offices at the former Ministry of Justice Building on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 10:00 hours, without fail.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Patriotic Front (PF) presidential aspirant, Makebi Zulu condemned the UPND government’s decision to summon Archbishop Banda under what he described as the guise of anti–money laundering investigations.
Zulu said the action was not only unwarranted but deeply alarming, arguing that it reflected a deliberate attempt to intimidate a respected religious leader who has consistently spoken truth to power.
“The Catholic Church has long stood as a moral compass for our nation, guiding society through principles of integrity, justice, and compassion,” Zulu stated.
He emphasised that Archbishop Banda had been a courageous and consistent voice for accountability, fearlessly highlighting corruption, injustice, and poor governance.
Zulu stressed that targeting him amounted to an attack on the moral ideals and democratic values he represents, describing the incident as another example of selective justice.
He further pointed out that while ministers and ruling party officials facing allegations were shielded and their identities concealed, the government had chosen to publicly malign a man of faith.
Meanwhile, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson, Anthony Chibuye, claimed that instead of fostering unity and development, Zambia was in the hands of what he described as hypocrites and criminals who have divided the country.
Chibuye said the UPND government, led by President Hakainde Hichilema, had disrespected the church through intimidation and corruption.
“In this way, the FDD wishes to warn the cadres of Hichilema at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) who have been instructed to intimidate and disrespect His Grace Bishop Dr. Alick Banda,” he said.
Chibuye described the summoning of Archbishop Banda as politically motivated and an act of intimidation and disrespect not only to the clergy but to the general populace.
He claimed that the alleged fight President Hichilema had long waged against the Catholic Church and Archbishop Banda was no secret, arguing that there had been several attempts to humiliate and intimidate the clergyman.
“Therefore, the FDD wishes to call on all Catholic faithful to stand strong and defend the Church, which has long been a beacon of hope for millions of the downtrodden in our society,” Chibuye said.
Similarly, former Kasenengwa Constituency lawmaker, Sensio Banda, said the decision to summon Archbishop Banda on the eve of an election cycle had been portrayed in some quarters as evidence that Zambia’s law enforcement agencies were embracing procedural accountability.
However, Banda argued that to many citizens struggling under the weight of a collapsing economy, the move appeared less like a principled stand for justice and more like a carefully timed distraction.
“At the centre of the investigation is a Toyota Hilux, allegedly gifted to the Archbishop during the previous administration. In isolation, the matter is not trivial. The law must apply equally to all, regardless of clerical collar or political standing,” Banda said.
He said Zambia was not suffering from petty corruption but was bleeding from grand, systemic leakages, citing the 2024 Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) Trends Report, which estimated that US$3.5 billion (about K81 billion) was lost to illicit financial flows in a single year.
Banda said these losses stemmed from tax evasion, illegal mining, trade mis-invoicing, and complex corporate schemes that quietly drain the national treasury.
“Where are the summons for the directors of multinational firms flagged in FIC reports? Where are the visible investigations into the networks facilitating illegal mineral exports and capital flight? These questions remain unanswered,” he said.
He also cited the ZAMMSA scandal, involving 61 containers of medical supplies, which resulted in the withdrawal of US$50 million in U.S. health aid.
“While a handful of junior and middle-level officials were arrested, the public has yet to see accountability commensurate with the scale of the failure, one that left clinics without essential medicines,” Banda said.
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