A Zambian court has sentenced former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labor for corruption.
Malanji, who served under former President Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021, was found guilty of using embezzled state funds to acquire properties, including two Bell 420 helicopters.
His co-accused, former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba, received a three-year sentence for facilitating the transfer of over $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey without justification.
The conviction marks a rare victory for state prosecutors in Zambia, a country ranked among the world’s most corrupt by Transparency International’s 2024 perception index.
Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga handed down the sentence, noting that despite being first offenders, the gravity of their offenses warranted custodial sentences.
The ruling is seen as a significant step in Zambia’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, with President Hakainde Hichilema vowing to root out corruption.
However, critics argue that progress has been slow, and the country still grapples with widespread poverty, affecting over 64% of its population.
