LUSAKA-(MaraviPost)-The Catholic Church in Lusaka is today holding a special solidarity Mass for Archbishop Alick Banda, ahead of his appearance before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on Monday for questioning over a Toyota Hilux.
According to the Archdiocese of Lusaka, the solidarity Mass will start tomorrow at 08:00 hours at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus, with faithful urged to attend and stand together as one family.
The Mass will be held under the theme “Stay here and keep watch with me” – Matthew 26:38.
Archbishop Banda is then expected to appear before the DEC at 10:00 hours on Monday, 28th September.
Vehicle linked to ZRA disposal case
The DEC summons relates to a Toyota Hilux allegedly linked to a case involving the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
Former ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda was convicted on 6th October 2025 and sentenced to six years imprisonment with hard labour for willful failure to comply with procedures when disposing of 22 used ZRA vehicles, including the Hilux in question. His co-accused, former ZRA Director of Administration Callistus Kaoma, was sentenced to nine years.
The DEC says it wants to establish how Archbishop Banda obtained the vehicle, which was part of the batch of ZRA assets disposed of irregularly.
DEC Director General Nason Banda has confirmed the summons, stating that the Commission is empowered by law to summon any individual regardless of status and that the appearance is part of ongoing investigations to give the Archbishop an opportunity to present his side of the story. He has dismissed claims that the summons is politically motivated.
Political claims dismissed
Opposition members have claimed the DEC’s actions are politically motivated and that the Archbishop is being targeted unfairly.
The government has denied this, stating that Archbishop Banda is not a political figure and that the matter is a routine law enforcement procedure linked to the ZRA disposal case, not politics.
Earlier summons in January 2026
This is not the first time Archbishop Banda has been summoned over the same vehicle.
On 31st December 2025, the Drug Enforcement Commission issued a formal summons under Section 26(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act No. 14 of 2001 directing Archbishop Banda to appear before its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit (AMLIU) on Monday, 5th January 2026 at 10:00 hours.
Archbishop Banda appeared before the DEC on 5th January 2026, escorted by the Bishop of Solwezi, Rt. Rev. Charles Kasonde, and the Bishop of Mpika, Rt. Rev. Edwin Mulandu, alongside priests, religious and lay faithful who walked with him from the Cathedral to the DEC offices in Lusaka.
According to DEC, the case centres on a Toyota Hilux registration number ALF 7734, which was reportedly given to the Archbishop as a gift but later seized by DEC in December 2023 and subsequently forfeited to the State. The Archbishop was formally warned and cautioned, and he opted to remain silent when asked to explain how he obtained the vehicle.
The summons triggered strong reaction from the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB). In a statement issued on 2nd January 2026 and another circulated on 4th January 2026, ZCCB President Archbishop Ignatius Chama said the bishops viewed the action as an attempt to suppress Archbishop Banda’s voice and described it as “state-sponsored persecution.”
The ZCCB said: “As ZCCB, we view this action as an attempt to suppress his voice as a Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Lusaka and a member of ZCCB. Archbishop Banda has faced consistent name-calling and what we can now recognize as state-sponsored persecution.”
Two supporters, George Chilufya and Steven Mukuka, were arrested on 5th January after police tried to disperse the crowd that accompanied the Archbishop.
The DEC has maintained that the matter has nothing to do with politics or the Catholic Church, and that clergy are not exempt from the law.
The Archbishop is now expected to appear again on Monday, 28th September 2026, for further questioning on the same matter.
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