Significant Support For President Hakainde’s Recent Announcement

Zambia’s current President, Hakainde Hichilema, made a bold and stunning announcement recently. In his recent public announcement made on Africa Day, he announced his plans towards abolishing the death penalty completely. President Hakainde said that the practice of death penalty is extremely inhumane, degrading and cruel and should be abolished. This decision received widespread support including that of Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, celebrated businessman and philanthropist from Zambia. Dr. Rajan Mahtani is known for his several successful companies such as Mahtani Group of Companies and Finsbury Investments. He is also known for his philanthropic contributions such as Prison Fellowship Zambia. Prison Fellowship was established more than three decades ago and since then it has become a prominent Christian Outreach Program for bringing the gospel & teachings of Jesus Christ to the prisoners, ex-prisoners as well as their families in Zambia. The program also focusses on providing effective and fair criminal justice system as well as providing fundamental human dignity and human rights to the inmates.
While supporting the decision from the Zambian President, Dr. Rajan Mahtani stated that giving death penalty does not resolve the issues for Zambian Government. There are more than 350 prisoners, both men and women, facing death penalty row. For these prisoners’ life is a living hell as they wake up every day not knowing if it is there last day. At the same time, the condition of the Zambian prisoners is extremely challenging and dangerous, and the inmates are often even devoid of basic human dignity and fundamental human rights. Dr. Rajan Mahtani also stated that while several other previous Presidents have strategically avoided death penalty or capital punishment, very few of them have actually worked towards removed the issue from its core by abolishing the law completely.
Dr. Rajan Mahtani has praised the decision made by the Zambian President. He also stated that there is a big difference between making such announcement and making it a reality and as such, Prison Fellowship will provide legal and regulatory support to ensure that the announcement becomes a reality soon.