Bishop Trevor Mwamba[1], the former Anglican Bishop of Botswana and current leader of a faction of Zambia’s UNIP party, is currently being held in detention in Zambia in connection with a treason case arising from events following the August 2026 Zambian election.
Bishop Mwamba was elected party president of The United National Independence Party (UNIP) on 4th April 2021. For the August 2026 general elections, UNIP joined the Tonse Alliance[2], did not field its own presidential candidate, and endorsed Brian Mundubile.
UNIP governed the country from 1964 to 1991 under the socialist presidency of Kenneth Kaunda and was the sole legal party in the country between 1973 and 1990. It is one of Zambia’s oldest and most historically important political parties.
The United National Independence Party led the country’s struggle for independence from Britain under Kenneth Kaunda, who became Zambia’s first president when the country gained independence on 24th October 1964. The party’s philosophy was closely associated with Kaunda’s idea of “African Humanism”, which emphasised national unity, social justice, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
After Zambia returned to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, UNIP lost power and became a much smaller political force. It has never regained its former dominance.
Because it was the party that led Zambia to independence, UNIP has been compared to historic liberation parties elsewhere in Africa, such as the ANC in South Africa or ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe. In recent years UNIP has experienced internal leadership disputes and factional divisions.
Zambian authorities say Trevor Mwamba was among a group arrested during a security operation in Lusaka on 14th August 2026. He was subsequently reported to have been transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison in Kabwe and is being held alongside other opposition figures facing treason charges. His family has expressed concern about his health, with reports stating that he has heart-related medical issues requiring medication. Anglican leadership, including Archbishop Thabo Makgoba[3], the Zambian Anglican Council[4] and various international bodies have called for due process and raised concerns about the detentions.
The charges remain strongly disputed. Government officials maintain the case concerns national security, while supporters and some international observers question the basis of the allegations and the treatment of opposition figures.[5]
Published 9th November 2026
*Bishop Mwamba is a contributor to Anglicanism.org
See: https://anglicanism.org/author/the-rt-revd-trevor-mwamba
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Mwamba
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonse_Alliance
[3] https://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2026/09/statement-on-detention-of-opposition.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawUGRH1wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVdVN2ZFd3ZJM2hVVDRoc3VzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeY3AWqOTEF0A3IktLRTjLMQSXn2mZh6DDu5Hl_38SsH3Vg97DHFc7hpK6tio_aem_t-KWl-229Zgvz1Ij0M64Lw
[4] https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/09/21/zambia-anglican-council-issues-statement-on-post-election-tensions/
[5] https://panafricanvisions.com/2026/11/bishop-trevor-mwamba-zambias-moral-voice-caught-in-a-political-storm/
