Church played role of Judas, Njobvu says
By Mast Reporter
DEMOCRATIC Union (DU) leader Ackim Njobvu says the Church in Zambia betrayed detained opposition leaders Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu.
Njobvu compared the Church’s behaviour to the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot, one of his most trusted disciples.
In an interview, he said the Church had failed to play the role of mediator following the 2026 presidential election, particularly in the manner it handled Mundubile and Zulu treason case.
“The UPND has got a lot to work on in this second term. The Church has been compromised. You saw their role. They only went to hand over people who were seeking safety. I don’t think that’s the role the Church was supposed to play. That role which they played of being witnesses, the lawyers could have taken up that matter,” Njobvu said.
He said the Church should have helped ease political tension and promote dialogue and reconciliation rather than betraying Mundibile and Zulu the way Jesus was betrayed by his own.
“The moment we knew that the Church was getting involved, we thought the Church would go a step further to bargain for something, to ease the tension that is there, to make sure that the silence that is in the country goes away,” Njobvu said.
He said the Church failed to provide the mediation needed at a critical time to encourage citizens to speak out and help restore unity.
“Citizens began to speak, but the Church did not play that role. We saw them just playing the role of Judas Iscariot. The Church that sat to witness the handing over of president Mundibile and vice president Zulu betrayed the nation. They are a Judas Iscariot,” Njobvu said.
The UN made a mistake by handing over Zulu and Mundubile to the state to face fake treason charges.
“The UN compromised its neutrality by handing over the treason-accused persons. It should not have been that way. In fact, those people went there to seek safety,” he said.
And Njobvu has expressed shock at the decision by the United Nations (UN) to compromise its neutrality by handing over Mundubile and Zulu to the State to face what he described as false treason charges in the aftermath of the controversial August 13 general elections.
