LUSAKA: A Zambian court on Friday jailed a former cabinet minister for two years in a corruption case that had prompted some Western donors to freeze aid to the southern African nation.
Britain, Finland, Ireland and Sweden withheld nearly $34 million in aid to Zambia’s social welfare and education sectors in 2018 because of concern over financial mismanagement.
Following the aid freeze, President Edgar Lungu fired former Community Development and Social Welfare Minister Emerine Kabanshi, who was in charge of the funds.
The case was a test of how Lungu is addressing corruption in a government that is struggling with slow economic growth, high debt and shrinking foreign currency reserves.
Handing down the sentence, magistrate Lameck Mwale said Kabanshi wilfully failed to follow procedures relating to the engagement of a state-owned company, which distributed social welfare funding for the poor.
The judge said Kabanshi also insisted on re-engaging Zambia Postal Services Corp. to continue managing the social welfare funds even when it was clear that the vulnerable beneficiaries were not receiving the funds.
Magistrate Mwale said Zambia Postal Services Corp. had used part of the money to buy vehicles for administrative use, against the terms of its contract with the government.
“There is a need to set an example for would-be offenders. I therefore sentence the convict to 24 months simple imprisonment effective today,” Mwale said after Kabanshi pleaded for leniency.
The offense carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
Zambians will be voting on Aug. 12 in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections, with the fight against corruption and the economy top among campaign issues.
There are 16 presidential candidates, with Lungu and the main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, whom he narrowly beat in 2016, the main contenders.
Zambia ex-minister jailed in graft case that led to aid freeze
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Zambia ex-minister jailed in graft case that led to aid freeze
- Following aid freeze, President Edgar Lungu fired former Community Development and Social Welfare Minister Emerine Kabanshi
- The case was a test of how Lungu is addressing corruption in a government
Ukraine’s Zelensky: We have backed US peace proposals to get a deal done
- “The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky told The Atlantic
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had sought to back US peace proposals to end the war with Russia as President Donald Trump seeks to resolve the conflict before November mid-term elections.
Zelensky, in an interview published by The Atlantic on Thursday, said Kyiv was willing to hold both a presidential election and a referendum on a deal, but would not settle for an accord that was detrimental to Ukraine’s interests.
“The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky told the US-based publication. “That’s why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along.”
He said Ukraine was “not afraid of anything. Are we ready for elections? We’re ready. Are we ready for a referendum? We’re ready.”
Zelensky has sought to build good relations with Washington since an Oval Office meeting in February 2025 descended into a shouting match with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.
But he said he had rejected a proposal, reported this week by the Financial Times, to announce the votes on February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. A ceasefire and proposed US security guarantees against a future invasion had not yet been settled, he said.
“No one is clinging to power,” The Atlantic quoted him as saying. “I am ready for elections. But for that we need security, guarantees of security, a ceasefire.”
And he added: “I don’t think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Zelensky is not a legitimate negotiating partner because he has not faced election since coming to power in 2019.
Zelensky has said in recent weeks that a document on security guarantees for Ukraine is all but ready to be signed.
But, in his remarks, he acknowledged that details remained unresolved, including whether the US would be willing to shoot down incoming missiles over Ukraine if Russia were to violate the peace.
“This hasn’t been fixed yet,” Zelensky said. “We have raised it, and we will continue to raise these questions...We need all of this to be written out.”
