The Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance has welcomed interventions by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Council of Churches in Zambia on what it describes as the deteriorating state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the country. In a statement issued on 1 October 2026 by Media Director Brian Matambo, the alliance endorsed concerns raised by the bishops after their Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of 29 September, including shrinking civic space, arbitrary arrests, political violence and the use of military personnel in civilian spaces. It also backed the Council of Churches’ call for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the death of Hon. Elder Mutotwe Kafwaya, who the alliance says was killed during a State security operation on 14 August. Drawing on Joshua Chapter 5, the alliance insisted the Church belongs to neither the opposition nor the ruling party, and that politicians on both sides must choose whether to stand where the Church stands.

The alliance accused Government of using a militia narrative to justify the arrest and prolonged detention of opposition figures, and challenged the State to place any evidence of a militia, weapons or criminal enterprise before a competent court. It singled out Celestine Mukandila, who it says remains in custody despite being granted bail after about 40 days in detention, and retired Anglican Bishop Dr Trevor Mwamba, who is held at Mukobeko Maximum Security Correctional Facility. The statement extended the same demand to Hon. Brian Mundubile, Hon. Makebi Zulu, George Chisanga, Patrick Mwansa and other political detainees held at Mukobeko, Mwembeshi and elsewhere. It cited United Nations Special Rapporteur Gina Romero, who described the treason charges against senior opposition leaders as concocted and called for the release of political detainees.

“Find the crime before you imprison the man,” the alliance said.

The alliance further described the treatment of Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka Dr Alick Banda, who recently spent a night at Chimbokaila Correctional Facility before securing bail, as directed political persecution tied to his perceived association with the late former President Dr Edgar Lungu. It renewed its demand for an independent investigation into the death of Assistant Superintendent Daniel Banda, a police ballistics officer who died inside Zambia Police Service Headquarters on 14 September, saying investigators must follow every lead, including towards those exercising political power. The alliance joined the Church in calling for due process, an end to arbitrary detention, independent investigations into deaths involving State security institutions, and genuine national dialogue and reconciliation. It said the opposition’s responsibility is not to ask whether the Church stands with it, but whether it stands where the Church stands.

The full statement follows below.

TONSE PAMODZI ALLIANCE
MEDIA STATEMENT

THE CHURCH HAS STOOD WITH TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE PEOPLE

1 October 2026

The Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance welcomes and acknowledges the important interventions by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Council of Churches in Zambia on the deteriorating democratic, human rights and rule-of-law situation in our country.

Our position on the Church is very clear. In Joshua Chapter 5, Joshua encounters the Commander of the Lord’s army and asks him a profoundly important question: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The answer is neither. He declares that he comes as Commander of the army of the Lord.

That principle must guide our understanding of the prophetic role of the Church in national affairs. The Church does not belong to the opposition. The Church does not belong to the ruling party. The opposition can choose to stand on the side of the values being proclaimed by the Church. Those in Government can equally choose to stand on that side. But the Church must remain on the side of truth, justice, human dignity and the Word of God.

It is from that position that we welcome the statement by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops following their Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of 29 September 2026. The bishops have raised serious concerns about political polarisation, shrinking civic space, arbitrary arrests and detention, political violence, restrictions on opposition political activity, the use of military personnel in civilian spaces, the credibility and transparency of electoral processes and reports of excessive or unlawful use of force.

We equally welcome the position taken by the Council of Churches in Zambia, particularly its call for a thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the death of Hon. Elder Mutotwe Kafwaya.

We have consistently demanded exactly that.

Hon. Elder Mutotwe Kafwaya was killed during the State security operation of 14 August 2026. We believe that his killing must be independently investigated and that every person responsible must ultimately be held accountable under the law.

We further believe that the so-called militia narrative subsequently advanced against opposition leaders has been used to justify arrests, prolonged detention and the incarceration of people who should never have found themselves in maximum-security prisons in the first place.

That is why we say to the Government: produce the evidence. If there was a militia, produce the evidence. If the people incarcerated at Mukobeko committed crimes, place the evidence before a competent court.

If there were weapons, produce them. If there was a criminal enterprise, establish it through evidence and through the courts.

People cannot be arrested first, placed in maximum-security detention and then have the State begin searching for a crime afterwards. Arrest cannot become the investigation itself, and detention cannot become punishment before trial.

The concerns raised by the Church therefore bring us directly to what is happening to our people today.

Mr Celestine Mukandila was detained for approximately 40 days. The High Court ordered his release on constitutional bail, and he has subsequently been granted bail in the criminal proceedings brought against him. Yet, as we issue this statement, we remain concerned that he has still not walked to freedom.

We expect Mr Mukandila to be released. A court order granting bail must mean something in a constitutional democracy.

We regard the cases brought against Mr Mukandila, in the circumstances in which they have arisen, as outrageous and politically motivated. If the State believes otherwise, let it produce its evidence before the courts. But once a citizen has been granted bail and fulfilled the applicable conditions, that citizen must be released.

We equally remain deeply concerned about retired Anglican Bishop Dr Trevor Mwamba, who remains incarcerated at Mukobeko Maximum Security Correctional Facility.

We do not believe Bishop Mwamba belongs in Mukobeko. We do not believe that Bishop Mwamba has committed an offence warranting his continued incarceration.

Our message to Government is therefore straightforward: find the crime before you imprison the man.

Do not arrest a retired bishop, throw him into a maximum-security prison and then begin constructing a justification for why he must remain there. If there is evidence that Bishop Trevor Mwamba committed a crime, place that evidence before the courts. Otherwise, release him.

The same principle must apply to Hon. Brian Mundubile, Hon. Makebi Zulu, George Chisanga, Patrick Mwansa and all the other political detainees being held at Mukobeko, Mwembeshi and elsewhere across our country.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero, described the treason charges against senior opposition leaders as “concocted charges” and called for the release of political detainees.

We have said from the beginning that these cases are concocted.

We believe they have been constructed around a false militia narrative in an attempt to provide justification for what happened on 14 August and to divert attention from the killing of Hon. Elder Mutotwe Kafwaya.

That is why an independent investigation into Kafwaya’s death is indispensable.

Let the investigators establish who authorised the operation. Let them establish who was deployed. Let them establish what weapons were carried into that residence. Let them establish who fired the shots. Let them establish where Hon. Kafwaya was when he was shot. Let them establish the ballistic evidence.

And let them establish whether there is any credible evidence whatsoever supporting the narrative subsequently advanced about an armed militia. The truth does not fear an investigation.

We must equally speak about Archbishop Dr Alick Banda.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka recently spent a night at Chimbokaila Correctional Facility before being released on bail.

We regard what has been happening to Archbishop Banda as directed political persecution. We believe his treatment cannot reasonably be divorced from his perceived association with the late Sixth Republican President, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, or from his longstanding willingness to speak publicly about governance, justice, poverty, democracy and the condition of our country.

No Archbishop should have to calculate whether preaching truth will result in a summons. No bishop should have to calculate whether criticising injustice will result in Mukobeko. No journalist should have to calculate whether asking questions will result in detention. No lawyer should have to calculate whether representing an opposition politician will make him or her the next target. And no ordinary Zambian should have to calculate whether expressing a political opinion will cost them their freedom, employment or personal security.

That is why the warning by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops about shrinking civic space is so important.

The bishops have also warned against the manipulation of ethnicity and tribal sentiment for political purposes. They have raised concerns about citizens living in fear over their security, employment and freedom to express political opinions. They have spoken about electoral credibility, institutional independence, access to justice, political tolerance and the urgent need for national dialogue, reconciliation and healing.

These are questions that go beyond Tonse-Pamodzi. They go beyond UPND. They go to the foundations of the Republic itself.

We also renew our demand for a genuinely independent investigation into the death of Assistant Superintendent Daniel Banda, the police ballistics officer who died inside Zambia Police Service Headquarters on 14 September.

We believe that matter must be investigated to its very core.

Every relevant connection must be examined. Every person who interacted with him in the period preceding his death must be accounted for. His work, the evidence he may have handled, the people he communicated with and every circumstance surrounding his death must be independently examined.

Wherever the tentacles of that investigation lead, including towards persons exercising political power, investigators must be allowed to follow them without fear, favour or interference.

Zambia cannot continue accumulating unexplained deaths, disputed security operations, political detainees and unanswered questions and expect citizens simply to move on.

We therefore appreciate the Church taking its proper place in calling our nation away from division, injustice, arbitrary detention, political violence and the unlawful taking of human life.

We join the Church in demanding respect for due process and human dignity, credible and transparent democratic institutions, an end to arbitrary detention, independent investigations into deaths involving State security institutions, and meaningful national dialogue and reconciliation.

And we repeat: the Church has not taken the side of the opposition. That is not what we are celebrating. The Church must never become UPND. The Church must never become Tonse-Pamodzi. The Church must remain the Church.

Our responsibility as the opposition is not to ask whether the Church is standing with us.

Our responsibility is to continually ask ourselves whether we are standing where the Church stands when it speaks for truth, justice, human dignity and the sanctity of life.

That is the lesson of Joshua Chapter 5. The question is not whether God is on our side.

The question is whether we have chosen to stand on the side of what is right.

Brian Matambo
MEDIA DIRECTOR
TONSE-PAMODZI ALLIANCE

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