By Angela Moonga
UNIP president Dr Trevor Mwamba says as a Bishop in the Church, he is angered by the disrespect and attack on the Catholic Church undertaken by the UPND administration.
In a statement yesterday, Bishop Mwamba stated that for unfathomable reasons the government has embroiled itself in an unnecessary tussle with the Catholic Church, especially with the Archdiocese of Lusaka, and its leadership, which has led to specific incidents of police action and legal summons.
”I recall the incident at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus, Lusaka, on October 28, 2024, when heavily armed police officers cordoned off both entrances to the Cathedral, to prevent access for a memorial mass for the late President Michael Sata,” he stated. “The government instructed then that the memorial service be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, notwithstanding, that President Michael Sata was a Catholic. I was appalled that this could be happening in our so-called Christian nation.”
He stated that the incident led to a strong protest letter from the Catholic Church to the government, citing an infringement on the right to worship.
”I have immense admiration for the ministry and work of the Catholic Church in Zambia,” Bishop Mwamba stated. “For a country that declares itself a Christian nation it’s abysmally deficient in the fruit of the Spirit. Somehow along the way we have lost our moral compass and decency trading in hatred instead of love, in malice instead of kindness, in badness instead of goodness, in cruelty instead of gentleness; it’s a toxic spirit that is poisoning our nation. We are losing our respect for the values that unite us and build up the common good as we slide into wickedness. This must stop.”
Bishop Mwamba argued that the Catholic Church has been a beacon of faith and justice, a defender of truth, and a prophetic voice, with the voice having been consistent in all administrations UNIP, MMD, PF, and now UPND.
”The Catholic Church’s pastoral service to the people of Zambia is sterling. This is exemplified by The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) whose work is done, through a faith inspired approach, to promote social justice in Zambia. Rooted in the life and death issues that people face, the Centre advocates for pro-poor policies aimed at promoting economic development, good governance and reducing poverty and inequality in Zambia. Who would object to this outstanding work?” Bishop Mwamba stated. “When we lose our moral compass we lose our etiquette and perspective too. This is what we are witnessing in this recent tussle. On 2 January, 2026, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), issued a Statement of Solidarity signed on their behalf by the Most Rev. Ignatius Chama, Archbishop of Kasama and President of ZCCB.”
He stated that he endorsed the Catholic statement on the summoning of Archbishop of Lusaka Dr Alick Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
”I do so in the spirit of the Reverend Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor and outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler, who spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps,” stated Bishop Mwamba. “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.
”The attack on the Catholic Church is an attack on all Churches and those who keep quiet are complicit in the insidious attempts to not only silence the prophetic voice of the Catholic Church and undermine her pastoral mission, but all Churches in Zambia.”
