Corruption Verdict: Malanji and Yamba Found Guilty

On 3 September 2025, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji and ex-Secretary for Treasury Fredson Yamba, were convicted of corruption-related charges.

Malanji was found guilty of unlawfully possessing several high-value assets, including a Bell 430 helicopter, a Bell 206 Jet, and three residential properties in Silverest. 

The court ruled that he had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of funds used to acquire these assets, with Acting Chief Resident Magistrate Irene Wishimanga affirming that the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

While Malanji was acquitted on one count linked to the Gibson Royal Hotel in Kitwe, the broader charges highlighted a pattern of unexplained wealth that was inconsistent with his official income.

Yamaba, meanwhile, was convicted on two counts of wilful failure to follow financial procedures. The court found that he authorised transfers that totalled more than US $4.6 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey for real estate procurement, in violation of established safeguards for public funds.

His actions, while framed by his legal team as being in pursuit of the former government’s interests, nonetheless represented a serious breach of responsibility in the management of national resources. 

The conviction of both men adds to a series of corruption cases linked to officials from the former Patriotic Front administration, several of whom have faced investigation since 2021.

The sentencing was adjourned to 4 September 2025