Zambia Jails Ex-Foreign Minister Malanji, Treasury Chief for Corruption

A Zambian court sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour and ex-treasury secretary Fredson Yamba to three years for corruption involving millions of embezzled state funds. The case marks a rare victory for prosecutors and the first major graft convictions of ex-president Edgar Lungu’s officials under President Hakainde Hichilema’s anti-corruption drive.

A Zambian court has handed a four-year prison sentence with hard labour to former foreign minister Joseph Malanji after finding him guilty of corruption. Malanji, who held office between 2018 and 2021 under ex-president Edgar Lungu, was arrested in late 2021 following allegations that he used embezzled state funds to purchase luxury assets, including two Bell 420 helicopters.

Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, who delivered the ruling, acknowledged that both Malanji and his co-accused were first-time offenders but stressed that the gravity of their offences warranted punishment. “I have heard the spirited mitigation by counsel and taken note that the convicts are first offenders and are entitled to leniency,” she stated before ordering that the 60-year-old serve four years in prison with hard labour.

Malanji’s co-accused, Fredson Yamba, a former secretary to the treasury, was also convicted. Yamba was found guilty of facilitating the illegal transfer of more than $8 million without providing justification for the expenditure. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

The convictions are being hailed as a rare victory for Zambia’s state prosecutors, who have long struggled to secure high-profile graft convictions. The sentencing also marks one of the first major corruption cases against senior officials from Lungu’s administration since President Hakainde Hichilema came to power in 2021.

Hichilema, who campaigned on a strong anti-corruption platform, has consistently pledged to tackle graft in government institutions. However, his administration has faced criticism for what some see as slow progress in delivering results.

It remains unclear whether Malanji and Yamba intend to appeal the ruling, but their convictions are likely to send a strong signal to other former officials under investigation. The outcome may also boost public confidence in Zambia’s justice system, which has often been viewed as lenient towards politically connected individuals.