Zambia court sentences ex-foreign minister to hard labour

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Zambia court sentences ex-foreign minister to hard labour

9:41 CAT | 05 Sep 2025

Screengrab: Mbili Media

A Zambian court on Thursday sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour for corruption.

Malanji, who served under former president Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021, was arrested in late 2021 for allegedly using embezzled state funds to acquire property, including two Bell 420 helicopters.

The conviction marked a rare victory for state prosecutors in the southern Africa country, ranked among the world’s most corrupt by Transparency International’s 2024 perception index.

“I have heard the spirited mitigation by counsel and taken note that the convicts are first offenders and are entitled to leniency,” said magistrate Ireen Wishimanga.

The 60-year-old will serve “four years imprisonment with hard labour”, she ruled.

Malanji’s co-accused Fredson Yamba will serve three years, she added.

Yamba, a former secretary to the treasury, was accused of facilitating the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey without justifying the expense.

It was not immediately clear if the pair will appeal the ruling.

They were the first top officials from Lungu’s government to be arrested on graft charges after President Hakainde Hichilema took office.

Hichilema has repeatedly vowed to root out corruption but critics say progress has been sluggish.

More than 64 percent of the population of copper-rich Zambia live in poverty.

Former Minister Joseph Malanji has been convicted on seven counts of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Mr. Malanji was found guilty of unlawfully possessing several high-value assets, including a Bell 430 helicopter, a Bell 206 Jet and three houses. pic.twitter.com/o32C1MDAg1

— ZNBC (@znbctoday) September 3, 2025

FORMER Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji and ex-Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba, who were convicted and detained yesterday, are due for sentencing today.

Mr Malanji has been found guilty of possession of two luxurious helicopters worth over US$1.4 million and… pic.twitter.com/xiRTv4o19l

— Zambia Daily Mail (@zadama24) September 4, 2025