Wayne Lumbasi
Zambia’s High Court has ordered the seizure of assets worth more than $1.3 million belonging to Dalitso Lungu, the 39 year old son of late former President Edgar Lungu, after finding that neither he nor his company could provide a credible explanation for the legal acquisition of the properties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the High Court in Lusaka ruled that 79 vehicles and 23 parcels of land and real estate including a shopping mall, petrol station, luxury apartments and an executive residence are to be forfeited to the State.
According to the judgment, evidence presented by prosecutors showed that Lungu lacked the financial means to lawfully acquire such holdings. Examination of his employment and business records revealed that his brief stints at a beverages company and the Zambia Revenue Authority, along with limited earnings, could not account for the scale of wealth he amassed.
Investigations into his business, Saloid Traders Limited, similarly failed to demonstrate legitimate income or financial capacity to purchase and maintain the properties. The company’s financial statements, tax returns, bank records, and social security contributions were described by the court as insufficient to establish lawful acquisition. Claims that the assets were financed through commercial farming, other business income, or family support were rejected due to a lack of documentation.
In delivering the ruling, the judges emphasised that Lungu had not provided credible proof that his late father or parents were the source of the funds used in acquiring the assets. As a result, the properties and vehicles will now vest in the State and be dealt with according to the law.
The National Prosecution Authority has defended the forfeiture as lawful and part of Zambia’s broader fight against corruption and financial crime. Officials said the process was conducted with due process and stressed that the forfeiture laws allow the State to recover property linked to criminal activity without requiring a criminal conviction so long as it is shown that the assets are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful conduct.
Dalitso Lungu’s lawyers have said they will appeal the High Court’s decision. The ruling comes amid ongoing tensions between the Lungu family and the government of President Hakainde Hichilema, who defeated Edgar Lungu in the 2021 election.
The case also unfolds against the backdrop of another legal dispute involving the late Edgar Lungu. The former president, who died in South Africa in June 2025, remains unburied amid legal battles between his family and the Zambian government over where and how his funeral should be conducted
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