GOVERNMENT has warned UPND members and the general public against demonising or calling Lusaka Archbishop Dr Alick Banda names following his cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
Yesterday, the clergyman appeared before the DEC and opted to remain silent over a Toyota Hilux he was gifted by the Patriotic Front (PF) in 2021.
Speaking at a media engagement this morning, Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said those calling Dr Banda names online, especially members of the ruling party, risk arrest under the Cyber Laws.
He said appearing before any law enforcement agency is a normal process and that the archbishop was not the first cleric to do so.
“No one should deem him guilty simply because he appeared before the DEC. He is innocent until proven guilty. No one should ostracise Dr Alick Banda. No one should call him names. You may think you are trying to please someone, yet you may be offending the law. Demonising him is unZambian,” said Mweetwa.
He explained that government still values the role the Catholic Church plays in society and urged well meaning Zambians to desist from demonising the Church.
“The law is not blind to church or political affiliation. It only states that if a person commits an offence, they are liable, upon conviction, to a prescribed punishment. Even if you are not a Zambian, once you commit a crime, the law will reach you,” he said.
Mweetwa also called on citizens to embrace dialogue whenever they have issues to address, whether with the Church or government.
Kalemba, January 6, 2026
