It’s not us fighting Archbishop Banda – Imenda

It’s not us fighting Archbishop Banda

By Charles Musonda

IT’S Alick Banda, the Lusaka Archdiocese Archbishop, who has been fighting us and not us fighting him, says United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy secretary general Gertrude Imenda.

Commenting on the petition by the Catholic faithful to Pope Leo XIV, Imenda challenged the Catholics to produce evidence that the UPND government was trying to instigate the removal of Archbishop Banda from office ahead of the August 13 general elections.

Over 2,000 Catholic members in Zambia have petitioned Pope Leo XIV against attempts by the State to have Archbishop Banda removed from office, which Imenda said the UPND was not aware of.

“We don’t know anything about that. If those people are saying that, can they produce evidence that we are trying to remove Alick Banda from office? We have no such intentions. We have more important things to do rather than us to dwell on such things,” she said.

Imenda said it was the archbishop who was fighting the UPND government.

“If anything, it’s Alick Banda who has been fighting us. We are not fighting him. Even this narrative that you are bringing, you are accusing us of so many things that we don’t know about. Bring evidence. We have more important things to do to rebuild this economy,” she said.

Imenda said the UPND was interested in investments to boost Zambia’s economy and would not dwell on trying to remove Archbishop Banda from office.

“How can we just concentrate on one person, for what? That is entirely the Catholic affair. We don’t fire or hire bishops. That is not in our mandate. If they have nothing more important to do, I really don’t know for them to even waste time like that. Let them petition whatever. It is up to them,” Imenda said.

She said Archbishop Banda was busy organising other bishops within the Catholic Church to turn against the UPND government.

“What I suspect is that he [Archbishop Banda] is the one who is organising other bishops. We have no time for that, and we have nothing to do with it. Whether the Pope recalls him or promotes him, whatever it is, or sends him somewhere else where the Pope wants him to be. Were we consulted when he was made bishop?” Imenda wondered.

She said the UPND was busy rebuilding Zambia’s economy and results were showing.

“We are working very hard and our working hard does not include engaging in petty things like who becomes a bishop or Pope.  That is not in our mandate,” Imenda said.