Mpundu was voice for refugees, displaced – ZCLU
By Ludia Ngwadzai
THE Zambian Civil Liberties Union(ZCLU) has eulogised Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu as a voice of conscience for refugees and displaced persons in Zambia.
The retired Roman Catholic Church archbishop died last Friday.
ZCLU acting executive director Derick Chekwe said in a statement yesterday Archbishop Mpundu was more than a church leader.
Chekwe described him as a shepherd of rare courage, deep compassion and unwavering moral clarity.
He recalled a meeting on September 10, 2023 at the archbishop’s home in Lusaka, where he shared his decades-long work with refugees alongside the late Bishop Paul Francis Duffy, clergy, and traditional leaders including Chief Mumena and Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II.
Chekwe said Archbishop Mpundu reflected on the 2017 Refugees Act, which opened a legal path for refugees to apply for citizenship after years of advocacy.
The prelate expressed sadness that no refugee parent or child had meaningfully benefited from that provision.
He was particularly concerned about children born in Zambia to refugee parents who remained in legal uncertainty.
said he argued that the issue was one of justice and humanity, not politics.
Chekwe noted that after their meeting, Archbishop Mpundu publicly supported ZCLU’s work on refugee rights.
“He stood with refugees when it was unpopular. He defended children who had no political constituency. He challenged governments when silence would have been easier,” he said.
Chekwe said the archbishop’s legacy would live on in the lives of refugee children whose futures were now brighter because of his advocacy.
