By Mubanga Mubanga
Senior lectuter in history at Stellenbosch University in South Africa Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa and renowned constitutional lawyer John Sangwa have written the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia asking him not entertain manoeuvres by President Hakainde Hichilema to remove Bishop of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda from his position.
In a letter dated December 30, 2024, also copied to President Hichilema, Ignatius Chama President of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) and Archbishop Banda, Dr Sishuwa and Sangwa stated that President Hichilema had been lobbying the Holy See for him to remove Bishop Banda from his position.
“We, Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa and Mr John Sangwa, are writing to express concern about the Zambian government’s current campaign to discredit Archbishop Dr Alick Banda of Lusaka Archdiocese. This campaign has escalated to lobbying the Holy See for the removal of Archbishop Banda from his position,” the letter read in part. “Archbishop continues to fulfill his responsibility by highlighting issues including national governance failures which impede the upliftment of the people of Zambia, as did his predecessor.”
The letter further stated that President Hichilema had continued to divide ZCCB by targeting outspoken bishops which included Archbishop Banda.
The duo also stated that President Hichilema from 2022 had been scheming to remove Archbishop Banda from his position.
They stated that the Zambian government particularly feared Banda’s influence within ZCCB ahead of 2026 general elections and was pressuring the Holy See to remove him from his position.
“For instance, ahead of his trip to Vatican in February 2022, President Hichilema asked your predecessor to request the Holy See to remove Archbishop Banda from his position and reinstate Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu on ground that the factors which led to Archbishop Mpundu were no longer in existence. Your predecessor respectively,” stated Sishuwa and Sangwa.
