A Zambian court has sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour for corruption, marking a rare win for state prosecutors in the country’s anti-graft efforts.
Malanji, who served under ex-president Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021, was accused of using embezzled state funds to acquire properties, including two Bell 420 helicopters. He was arrested in late 2021 alongside Fredson Yamba, a former secretary to the treasury, who was sentenced to three years for facilitating the illegal transfer of over $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey.
Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, while delivering judgment, acknowledged that both men were first offenders but insisted on a custodial sentence, ruling that Malanji serve four years with hard labour.
The conviction is seen as a major milestone in President Hakainde Hichilema’s pledge to tackle corruption, though critics argue that progress has been slow. The ruling also comes at a time when more than 64 percent of Zambia’s population lives in poverty, increasing public demand for accountability from government officials.
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