{"id":80691,"date":"2026-02-11T20:36:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T20:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/the-dalitso-lungu-case-and-immunity-issues"},"modified":"2026-02-11T20:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T20:36:05","slug":"the-dalitso-lungu-case-and-immunity-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/the-dalitso-lungu-case-and-immunity-issues","title":{"rendered":"The Dalitso Lungu Case and Immunity Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sishuwa Sishuwa<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

Africa-Press – Zambia. <\/strong><\/span>On 10 February 2026, the Lusaka High Court ordered the forfeiture of properties worth K31 million belonging to former president Edgar Lungu\u2019s son, Dalitso. According to court records, Dalitso, who earned a total income of K137, 803 before Lungu became president in 2015, explained that the wealth was given to him by his father. The order was issued following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions who had sought the forfeiture of about 71 vehicles and 21 properties, which included a filling station, to the state.<\/p>\n

There are several lessons that emerge from this case. I will highlight only four.<\/p>\n

The first is the need for governments to fight corruption in real time. A key reason why we are only now uncovering the corruption of the Edgar Lungu era is that successive governments tend to focus on fighting corruption of the past while ignoring or paying lip service to the rampant corruption that is happening under their own watch. As a result of this practice, Zambians will only get to know the grand corruption that may be taking place under President Hakainde Hichilema only after the UPND is out of office. There is need to identify and address the factors, both structural and otherwise, that prevent anti-corruption bodies from fighting corruption in real time.<\/p>\n

In addition to creating supportive or empowering legislation and appointing independent professionals with a clear track record of fighting corruption to the board and management positions of the Anti-Corruption Commission, a successful anti-corruption campaign requires having a president who shows a clear or demonstrable will to fight past and especially present corruption. Such political will can be expressed in several ways: by strengthening anti\u2010corruption laws, by acting decisively against wrongdoing among officials and associates, including those closest to power, and by leading through personal example.<\/p>\n

Lungu fell short on all three fronts, and Hichilema has, regrettably, mirrored his predecessor with equal distinction. A brief review of his four and a half years in office reveals a striking failure across each dimension.<\/p>\n

He has introduced no meaningful reforms to the Anti\u2010Corruption Act, nor has he sought to align it with Article 216 of the Constitution, which sets out the guiding principles for commissions. Hichilema has likewise shown an incriminating reluctance to dismiss ministers and other senior government officials accused of involvement in corruption.<\/p>\n

Few Zambians have forgotten how the president went out his way to protect high-level officials accused of corruption in the Ministry of Health, to shield his associates who were implicated in the infamous airport gold scandal, or how he has overly protected Solicitor General Marshal Muchende from possible prosecution for alleged corruption.<\/p>\n

As the current US Ambassador to Zambia, Michael Gonzales, argued in November 2023, \u201cThere must be consequences for individuals who abuse their public positions for personal gain. They must lose their jobs, their assets, and\/or their freedom. The costs of corruption must exceed the financial gain if we are going to stem corrupt practices.\u201d Gonzales\u2014whose prior diplomatic postings show a traceable record of calling governments to account for violating their own laws or advancing personal interests at the expense of their citizens\u2014continued:<\/p>\n

\u201cInvestigating and arresting former officials is appropriate and expected when there is convincing evidence. And over the past decade during which corruption was effectively industrialized by senior officials in government, there is a deep, deep pool of former officials to be held accountable.<\/p>\n

Because, let\u2019s be honest, when you go into public office having a modest house in a compound, and you leave office with $400,000 in cash laying around the house that you need to pass it to your niece for safe keeping, it calls into question where that money came from, because it wasn\u2019t just your government salary!<\/p>\n

And if it came from corrupt practices or abuse of office, there must be accountability.\u201d In addition to drawing attention to the Lungu-era corruption and the importance of holding former officials to account, Gonzales also emphasised the need for Hichilema to decisively deal with the corruption that is happening under his administration:<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s important there be comparable attention and investigations to ensure accountable government among current administration officials and political leaders as well. We are still waiting to see convictions of current administration officials for corruption.<\/p>\n

When the PS repeatedly cancels and re-issues the high-value procurement, selecting a limited cohort of allowed bidders, it\u2019s a problem. When a minister\u2019s son or nephew routinely pressures companies in his father\u2019s or uncle\u2019s sector to give them money to secure licenses or concessions, it\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n

Let us demonstrate that indeed there are no sacred cows and that no one is above the law. But we all know that despite the lovely words, the Zambian people are only going to believe it when accountability is held, when corrupt officials lose their jobs, their assets, and their eedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second lesson is that any politically exposed person whose wealth exceeds their known means should be required to account for it. That principle is simply fair. By the same measure, if credible evidence were to emerge tomorrow suggesting that members of President Hichilema\u2019s family possessed assets far beyond their legitimate and verifiable income, it would be reasonable to expect them to explain the source of that wealth.<\/p>\n

Those family members might include Maurice Hichilema, the President\u2019s brother and current Director of Human Resources at Cabinet Office; Constance Hichilema, his sister and now Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police responsible for the Paramilitary Unit; and Habwela Hichilema, his son, who was controversially appointed to a position in the Zambia National Service, where we are told he serves without pay.<\/p>\n

Other family members who may be questioned in future are Albert Halwampa, the president\u2019s brother in law who is ZDA Director General; Kennedy Shepande, the president\u2019s brother in law who is Zambia\u2019s High Commissioner to Canada; Machacha Shepande, the president\u2019s brother in law who is General Secretary of the Football Association of Zambia; Marshal Muchende, the president\u2019s nephew who is Solicitor General; and several others too numerous to mention who populate public positions.<\/p>\n

Requesting that these or other individuals associated with the president clarify the sources of any wealth beyond their established income does not imply guilt. It ensures they are afforded the chance to be heard and to demonstrate that their assets were obtained lawfully.<\/p>\n

The third lesson is the importance of declaring and publishing assets when one is a public officer. If Lungu had published the assets and liabilities that he declared to the Electoral Commission of Zambia in 2021, it may have been easy for the public to believe the possibility<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Zambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sishuwa Sishuwa Africa-Press – Zambia. On 10 February 2026, the Lusaka High Court ordered the forfeiture of properties worth K31 million belonging to former president Edgar Lungu\u2019s son, Dalitso. According to court records, Dalitso, who earned a total income of K137, 803 before Lungu became president in 2015, explained that the wealth was given […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":80689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,7,8,248],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-80691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","category-head-lines","category-homepage-english","category-to-homepage","tag-zambia"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Dalitso Lungu Case and Immunity Issues - Zambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/the-dalitso-lungu-case-and-immunity-issues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Dalitso Lungu Case and Immunity Issues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Sishuwa Sishuwa Africa-Press – Zambia. 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