Daliso Lungu | zambiamonitor.com
The forfeiture order covers assets across the country, including a petrol station, luxury apartments, a shopping mall and an executive residence in the capital, Lusaka. Prosecutors said the court was satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that Dalitso’s official income and business records did not justify the scale of the holdings, noting gaps in financial documentation and tax compliance.
National Prosecution Authority officials said the forfeiture followed due legal process and was not politically motivated, emphasising that individuals can retain property if they can demonstrate a lawful source of funds. A public relations manager for the authority said Dalitso had been given the opportunity in court to explain the sources of the assets but did not do so.
The case forms part of a broader legal and political context involving the Lungu family. Former president Edgar Lungu died in South Africa in June 2025, and a legal battle over the repatriation of his remains has dragged on for months, with his body still in a funeral home there amid ongoing appeals in South African courts. The Lungu family has filed a notice of appeal in South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal challenging a Pretoria High Court ruling that ordered the remains be returned to Zambia for burial with full state honours.
Critics of the asset forfeiture have characterised the proceedings as part of a politically charged crackdown on the former first family, although authorities maintain they are enforcing anti-corruption laws. The forfeited properties are to be taken into state possession, with legal provisions allowing the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine their disposition under the law.
Meanwhile, the legal fight over Edgar Lungu’s burial continues in South African courts, where the family seeks to overturn decisions mandating repatriation, keeping the matter in both legal and public focus.
