A Zambian court has sentenced former Foreign Affairs Minister, Joseph Malanji, to four years imprisonment with hard labour on charges of corruption.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, marking a significant, though rare, win for state prosecutors in the country’s ongoing anti-graft campaign.
Malanji, who served in the cabinet of former President Edgar Lungu between 2018 and 2021, was arrested in late 2021. Authorities accused him of using misappropriated state funds to acquire high-value assets, including two Bell 420 helicopters.
“I have heard the spirited mitigation by counsel and taken note that the convicts are first offenders and are entitled to leniency,” stated Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga during sentencing.
The 60-year-old former minister was handed a sentence of “four years imprisonment with hard labour,” according to the court’s ruling.
Fredson Yamba, Malanji’s co-accused and former Secretary to the Treasury, received a three-year prison sentence. He was implicated in facilitating the unjustified transfer of over $8 million to Zambia’s diplomatic mission in Turkey.
It remains unclear whether Malanji and Yamba plan to appeal the verdict.
The two officials were among the first high-ranking figures from Lungu’s administration to face legal action under President Hakainde Hichilema’s government. Since assuming office, Hichilema has pledged to tackle corruption, though critics argue that tangible progress has been slow.
According to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perception Index, Zambia remains one of the world’s most corruption-prone nations. Despite its wealth in natural resources, particularly copper, over 64 percent of the population continues to live in poverty.
