Ex-Zambian Foreign Minister jailed four years for corruption

Zambia’s former Foreign Minister, Joseph Malanji, has been sentenced to four years in prison with hard labour after being convicted on multiple corruption charges.

According to state media, Malanji was found guilty on seven counts linked to the acquisition of luxury properties and helicopters suspected to have been purchased with illicit funds. His co-accused, former treasury secretary Fredson Yamba, was handed a three-year sentence for authorizing the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia’s embassy in Turkey without proper justification.

Malanji, a close ally of ex-president Edgar Lungu, served as foreign minister between 2018 and 2021. He was popularly nicknamed “Bonanza” for his generosity and willingness to mingle with ordinary Zambians. Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, while passing judgment, said she exercised “leniency” because both men were first-time offenders and had mounted strong mitigation pleas.

Malanji is the most prominent figure from Lungu’s administration to be jailed, as several former ministers face corruption-related convictions. President Hakainde Hichilema, who defeated Lungu four years ago, has pledged to tackle graft, though his opponents accuse him of selectively targeting rivals.

Critics also point to ongoing scandals under Hichilema’s watch. Earlier this year, the US suspended $50 million in health funding to Zambia, citing systematic theft of medical supplies. Despite promises of investigations, no prosecutions have followed. Transparency International continues to rank Zambia among the world’s most corrupt nations.