Africa-Press – Zambia. Lawyer Simon Mwila Shares….
As a lawyer, I understand and respect the mandate of law enforcement institutions. As a Catholic, I also understand the role of the Church and its shepherds in speaking to the conscience of the nation. It is from these two positions that I reflect on the recent matter involving Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda and the Drug Enforcement Commission.
On the legal side, Mr. Nason Banda, the Director General of DEC, is carrying out a difficult national duty. The fight against financial crime, corruption, and illicit activities demands firmness and resolve. The law gives the Commission authority to summon any citizen where necessary, and exercising that authority does not, on its own, amount to wrongdoing. Institutions must be allowed to function without fear or undue pressure.
On the side of faith, Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda is not just another citizen. He is a spiritual leader whose voice carries moral guidance for many Zambians. The Catholic Church has, over time, played an important role in peace building, national reflection, and dialogue. When such a figure becomes part of a legal process, public reaction is naturally heightened, not because he is above the law, but because people listen to him and trust his moral voice.
This is where wisdom becomes critical.
When law and faith intersect in a politically sensitive environment, procedure alone is not enough. How authority is exercised, and how it is communicated, matters deeply. Calm, quiet professionalism reassures the nation. Noise and speculation unsettle it.
Sadly, this is also the space where some politicians rush in to manipulate events. Instead of allowing institutions to do their work with sobriety, they frame the issue for political gain, inflame emotions, and divide citizens along religious and political lines. Pushing a narrative that DEC is fighting the Catholic Church is irresponsible, dishonest, and dangerous. It cheapens both the law and faith, and it insults the intelligence of the Zambian people.
This matter is not a contest between institutions or individuals. It is not DEC versus the Catholic Church. It is two men, both serving Zambia in different ways, caught at a difficult moment. One is charged with enforcing the law. The other is charged with guiding conscience. Both roles are necessary. Neither diminishes the other.
What this moment calls for is restraint, humility, and mutual respect. The law must remain firm, but it must also be wise. The Church must speak, but it must also promote peace. And politicians must resist the temptation to exploit every situation for short term political gain.
Zambia does not need heightened tension at the moment. It needs sober citizens, mature institutions, and leaders who put the country above politics. 📌.
Simon Mulenga Mwila – Aspiring Mayor of Lusaka.
(DBA-Candidate, MBA, LLM, LLB, Legal Practitioner, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, Staunch Catholic)
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