Zambia’s former foreign minister Joseph Malanji has been sentenced to four years in prison with hard labour after being convicted on corruption charges, marking one of the most high-profile convictions since President Hakainde Hichilema came to power on an anti-graft platform.
Malanji, who served under former President Edgar Lungu between 2018 and 2021, was found guilty on seven counts linked to the acquisition of properties and helicopters suspected to have been purchased with proceeds of crime. His co-accused, former treasury secretary Fredson Yamba, was handed a three-year term for authorising the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia’s diplomatic mission in Turkey without adequate justification.
Delivering the ruling, Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga said she had shown leniency, noting both men were first-time offenders and had presented strong mitigation arguments through their defence teams.
The convictions deepen a series of legal setbacks for members of Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF) government, several of whom have faced corruption-related trials since Hichilema assumed office in 2021. Malanji, a close ally of Lungu known by the nickname “Bonanza” for his public generosity, is the most senior former minister to be jailed so far.
The verdict comes against a backdrop of political tension in Zambia. Lungu, who died in South Africa in June of natural causes, remains unburied due to an ongoing dispute between his family and the government over funeral arrangements. His allies have accused Hichilema of weaponising the judiciary to weaken the PF, portraying the prosecutions as part of a broader vendetta.
Yet Hichilema himself has faced scrutiny over his government’s integrity. In May, the United States withdrew $50 million in health sector funding, citing what it described as “systematic theft” of medical supplies and donations, saying it would “no longer underwrite the personal enrichment of fraudsters.” Although Lusaka pledged to investigate, no prosecutions have followed.
Transparency International consistently ranks Zambia among the world’s most corrupt nations, underscoring the challenge facing Hichilema as he seeks to convince citizens and international partners of his administration’s commitment to reform.
For many Zambians, Malanji’s conviction is a test case: either proof that entrenched corruption is finally being tackled at the highest levels, or a troubling sign that the country’s anti-graft drive has become a political weapon.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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