In a significant ruling against alleged corruption, Zambia’s High Court has mandated the confiscation of assets valued at over $1.3 million from Dalitso Lungu, son of the late former President Edgar Lungu. The comprehensive forfeiture order encompasses 79 vehicles and 23 parcels of land and real estate holdings, including a shopping complex, fuel station, luxury apartments, and an executive residence situated in the capital city of Lusaka.
The court’s Economic and Financial Crimes Division determined that the 39-year-old Lungu and his corporate entity, Saloid Traders Limited, failed to present credible and verifiable evidence demonstrating lawful acquisition of these substantial assets. Judicial scrutiny of Lungu’s employment history revealed brief tenure at a Lusaka beverages company in 2012 followed by nearly three years at the Zambia Revenue Authority, with earned income deemed insufficient to justify such extensive property accumulation.
This ruling occurs against the backdrop of ongoing political tensions between the Lungu family and current President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration. The late President Lungu, who governed Zambia from 2015 until his 2021 electoral defeat, passed away in South Africa in June under undisclosed circumstances. His remains continue to be held in a Johannesburg funeral home amid protracted legal proceedings regarding repatriation and burial arrangements.
The asset forfeiture case represents the latest development in Zambia’s anti-corruption initiative that critics allege carries political motivations. In 2024, the High Court similarly ordered former First Lady Esther Lungu to surrender 15 flats valued at $3.5 million. Mrs. Lungu, remaining in South Africa since her husband’s death, recently filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein contesting the repatriation order for her husband’s remains, following unsuccessful attempts in lower courts.
Legal representatives for Dalitso Lungu have indicated their intention to appeal Monday’s ruling, continuing the complex legal battle that intersects with the nation’s political divisions and ongoing anti-corruption efforts.