Africa-Press – Zambia. I have noted the abuse of a citizen by President Hakainde Hichilema.
At every turn, President Hakainde Hichilema alleges that former Foreign Affairs Minister, Joseph Malanji travelled to Turkey using a Presidential Jet, and withdrew $11million.
He alleges that the $11million was for the Cahncery which was NEVER bought.
He alleges that Malanji made numerous cash deposits after his return and bought two helicopters.
President Hichilema also prides himself, that he retrieved the two aircrafts by requesting President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Emerson Munangwagwa of Zimbabwe.
But let us examine the facts.
1. Ministers are never part of the procurement process and the evidence shows that Malanji did not participate or influence the process and outcome.
2. A Chancery was bought contrary to repeated false assertions by the President.
3. In 2019, Government announced that it had secured a $20 million mortgage financing program to purchase, rehabilitate, and construct properties for its diplomatic missions abroad.
4. The missions to benefit from the program included new Missions in Canberra, Australia and Ankara, Italy.
5. Earmarked for rehabilitation were Ambassadors and Chancery buildings in South Africa, Germany and Washington.
6. The Ankara Project
● To this effect, Government bought a real estate, a chancery building, for the Zambian Mission in Ankara, Turkey
●In December, 2020, Government sent $6.8million as part-payment to the project. The payment was made to the Vendor’s lawyers; Burhan Asaf Safak.
● In July, 2021 months after Parliament was dissolved, and Joseph Malanji was no longer Minister, Government sent $2 million.
● In October 2021, Government (the new Government) cancelled and revised the purchase of the houses but finalised the sale of the Chancery Building at the cost of $8 million.
● Total payments; US$8million.
7. Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General Nason Banda, therefore lied and committed perjury that $11million was sent to Ankara (when Government paid $8million to the vendor) and claimed that $11million was collected by Malanji and repatriated to Zambia through a presidential plane.
8. In June 2025 the Public Accounts Committee insoected the the newly purchased chancery building. They expressed concern that the building required further refurbishment to meet Turkish regulations, a matter that has added more costs for the government.
9. It must be noted that during this period, the Gulfstream G650 (AF 001) was the designated Presidential plane. The Bombardier Challenger, 9J One was no longer a presidential plane.
10. During this period, Ministers used it for presidential duties such as Davies Chama and Stephen Kampyongo who were assigned to travel to Lilongwe on June 28,2020 for the inauguration of President Lazarus Chakwera.
11. Malanji was assigned and used the Challenger to attend the inauguration of Namibian President, Hage Geingob in March 2020.
12. Former President Rupiah Banda frequently used the plane during COVID-19 and airspace shutdown, to attend to medical treatment to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
11. The plane was also used for duties to Tanzania, Isreal and Turkey.
● The announcement by President Hakainde Hichilema that he worked hard to send former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jospeh Malanji to Jail by calling President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Emerson Mnangagwa and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, to secure witnesses and reposses his Helicopters makes sad reading.
● President Hichilema also repeats the lie of $11million and clearly abused his powers and acted as Prosecutor, Jury and Judge to send his bitter political adversary.
12. His reference to the Judiciary that such persons must not be let scot free or be given bail prejudices the case before court and removes fundamental rights such as the right to appeal and obtaining bail-pending appeal.
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