A Zambian court on Thursday, September 4, 2025 sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour for corruption. Malanji served under former president Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021. He was arrested in late 2021 for allegedly using stolen state money to buy property, including two Bell 420 helicopters.
The court’s ruling is seen as a rare win for prosecutors in Zambia, a country often ranked among the world’s most corrupt by Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga said she took into account that both Malanji and his co-accused, Fredson Yamba, were first-time offenders and thus deserved leniency. Yamba, a former treasury secretary, was sentenced to three years in prison after he was accused of transferring over $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey without proper justification.
Malanji’s conviction is significant because he is one of the first high-ranking officials from Edgar Lungu’s government to face corruption charges since President Hakainde Hichilema took office. Hichilema has promised to fight corruption aggressively, but some critics say progress has been slow.
More than 64% of Zambia’s population, a country rich in copper resources, still live in poverty, and corruption remains a major obstacle to development and good governance.
It is not yet clear if Malanji and Yamba will appeal the court’s decision. The case has drawn national attention as Zambia continues efforts to strengthen accountability in public service.
