Zambian police disrupting bishop’s meeting with former president sparks controversy

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Jesuit Father Leonard Chiti says he is “appalled” by the police’s decision to invade the office of Bishop Clement Mulenga of the Diocese of Kabwe in Zambia.

On Friday, police stormed the office to disrupt a meeting between the church leader and Zambia’s former president Edgar Lungu.

Police accused the former president and the Catholic bishop of holding an illegal gathering.

“There are no plans for a meeting to be held indoors. You know our security system,” a police officer told Mulenga.

“As police, you have to inform us if someone is coming. I say that you should not have a meeting because it is clear that you have a meeting here,” he said.

The bishop responded that his doors as a priest were open to everyone, regardless of political affiliation or ethnicity.

“This is a church, a public office that welcomes anyone who makes an appointment,” Mulenga told police.

“People come here, and if they want to share something, they are free to do so with me,” he continued.

“I am not a politician, I am a religious person. I have nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with religious life. Every person who makes an appointment has the right to see me, including you,” said the bishop.

He added that even members of the government, those who are not in the government, “Catholics, non-Catholics, everyone has the right to visit me.”

Chiti – the provincial superior of the Jesuits in southern Africa, which includes Zambia – told core“A bishop is a shepherd for everyone, regardless of their life status, position, political orientation, etc.”

“As a pastor, he is available to anyone who seeks his pastoral care,” he said, condemning the police’s move to “intrude on what appears to be a private meeting between the former president and the Bishop of Kabwe.”

“There was no civility whatsoever and the arrogance and insolence of the police cannot be tolerated in a society like ours that actually calls itself Christian,” Chiti said.

“The least the police could have done would have been to wait for the meeting to end and, if necessary, politely and professionally ask what the meeting was about and perhaps alert those involved to the risks of such meetings in our current political climate country,” said the Jesuit.

He said the police actions were a violation of human rights, echoing a view already expressed by the country’s human rights commission.

On Monday, the chairwoman of the commission, Dr. Pamela Towela Sambo, the police from abusing the public order law. She noted that Zambia remains a functioning democracy where political leaders have the right to freedom of association and assembly, and criticized the attack on the bishop’s office.

“The Commission condemns in the strongest possible terms the police incursion into the office of the Catholic Bishop in an attempt to suppress Mr Lungu’s rights to freedom of association and assembly,” Sambo said.

Politicians have also joined the flood of condemnations. In a Facebook video, Chishala Kateka, president of the opposition New Heritage Party, said that “the democratic space (in Zambia) is shrinking.”

Addressing the country’s president, Hakainde Hichilema, Kateka said: “A church is a place that should be respected and there is no reason to send police officers to a church where no crimes are committed.”

“This makes me believe that you and your government would do the same thing that happened in Rwanda. In Rwanda, police and militias were sent into churches and massacred people in churches because the leadership had no respect for the church,” she added.

“As a whole, we Zambians must not allow this…We have the right to meet whenever and wherever we want,” Kateka insisted.

The government has apologized to the Catholic Church for the incident.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu described the incident as “unfortunate and regrettable”.

On May 19, he said the government values ​​the relationship between the state and the church and noted that the government has never tolerated harassment of anyone, let alone clergy.

“We would like to sincerely apologize to the Catholic Church and in particular to Bishop Clement Mulenga of the Diocese of Kabwe for the incident in Kabwe,” Mwiimbu said.

“We are investigating this incident not only what is seen in the video, but also taking into account the unseen events and circumstances,” he said.

But this incident is the second time that Zambian police have prevented the former president from interacting freely with Zambians inside and outside the clergy.

Lungu’s public appearances are now seen as a potential threat to national security. Last week he caused a stir in Lusaka when he spontaneously greeted and mingled with ordinary citizens, effectively bringing traffic to a standstill on the city’s streets.

However, according to Chiti, this is the first time that a bishop’s office or home has been searched.

“This has never happened in the history of a peaceful and united nation like ours,” said the Jesuit.

“I don’t know why a professional police force would act like that. This action raises further questions as to why a senior police officer, who one would hope would be well trained and well versed in the provisions of our Constitutions relating to the Bill of Rights, would act as he did.” , he said. core.

“It seems to me that the relationship between the sixth president (Lungu) and the current government is toxic,” the priest said.

“I would recommend starting a dialogue between the two parties to resolve the tensions currently occurring in our political space. I believe such an approach would prevent similar occurrences in the future, especially with a view to the 2026 parliamentary elections,” Chiti said.