Zambian Ex-Foreign Minister Gets Prison Term for Corruption

A Zambian court on Thursday handed former foreign minister Joseph Malanji a four-year prison sentence with hard labour after finding him guilty of corruption.

Malanji, who served under ex-president Edgar Lungu between 2018 and 2021, was arrested in late 2021 for allegedly using stolen public funds to purchase assets, including two Bell 420 helicopters.

The ruling represents a rare win for state prosecutors in Zambia, a country ranked among the world’s most corrupt in Transparency International’s 2024 index.

“I have considered the mitigation presented by counsel and noted that the convicts are first-time offenders deserving of some leniency,” Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga said.

The 60-year-old was sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour, while his co-accused, former treasury secretary Fredson Yamba, received a three-year term. Yamba was found guilty of authorizing the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey without justification.

It remains uncertain whether the two will appeal the verdict.

They are the first senior officials from Lungu’s administration to be convicted on corruption charges since President Hakainde Hichilema assumed office.

Hichilema has pledged to clamp down on graft, though critics argue that progress has been slow. Meanwhile, over 64 percent of Zambians, despite the country’s copper wealth, continue to live in poverty.