Death penalty abolishment supported by Dr. Rajan Mahtani

The President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, made a stunning announcement on the occasion of Africa Day. On this day, the Zambian President announced that he is planning to completely abolish the death penalty law. This announcement was met with positive news, including noted businessman and philanthropist Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani. Dr. Mahtani is one of the most famous businesspersons from Zambia and Africa, with significant business achievements including Mahtani Group of Companies and Finsbury Investments. He is also known for his philanthropic contributions such as the Stephen Malama award and Scholarship for top law graduates in Zambia and Prison Fellowship Zambia, a notable Christian Outreach Program. Dr. Rajan Mahtani established the Prison Fellowship more than three decades ago and is currently the Chairman of the organization. Prison Fellowship works towards bringing the teachings and gospel of Jesus Christ to the inmates, ex-inmates, and their families in Zambia. The organization also ensures that the prisoners are given transparent criminal justice and are not devoid of fundamental human rights and basic human dignity. As such, Prison Fellowship has pledged legal and regulatory support to ensure that this decision from the Zambian President turns into a real law.

Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, while supporting the Zambian President’s decision, stated the death penalty is a cruel, inhumane, and degrading law. It is an archaic process that holds no value in the current society. Also, the death penalty does not provide any solution for the Zambian government. There are hundreds of prisoners across Zambian prisons awaiting capital punishment with a tough life. At the same time, the overall condition of the prisons across Zambia is extremely degrading and terrible. Many of the visits from past Presidents and Vice-Presidents have revealed that the condition of the Zambian prisons is similar to hell. As such, the government of Zambia has partnered with several institutions such as the Parole Institute of Zambia and Zambia Correctional facility for strategic decongestion of the prisons.