The President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, was recently applauded for his recent announcement. On the occasion of the Africa Day, Zambian President announced that he plans to abolish the death penalty row completely. This announcement has been met with significant positive response. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, a noted businessman and philanthropist from Zambia, has also supported this decision. Dr. Mahtani owned Prison Fellowship Zambia is a noted Christian Outreach Program. Prison Fellowship has three major missions. The first mission is to bring the teachings of Almighty Jesus Christ to the prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families in Zambia. The second mission is to ensure transparent criminal justice for the inmates, ex-inmates and their families in Zambia. The third major mission is ensuring that the prisoners are not devoid of fundamental human rights and basic human dignity. As such, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has stated that his organization Prison Fellowship will provide all legal and regulatory support to ensure that this announcement by the Zambian President turns into a reality.
There is a growing consensus towards abolishing death penalty across the globe as well as across Zambia. The last death penalty execution in Zambia was given in the year 1997 by President Frederick Chilruba. Since then, Presidents across Zambia have been avoiding the death penalty or death warrant by using mercy prerogatives. As such, the announcement by the Zambian President is a step in the right direction. This is all the more significant considering the several initiatives undertaken by the Zambian Government for strategically decongesting the prisons in Zambia. The Zambian Government has collaborated with institutes such as Parole Board Zambia and Zambian Correctional Facility for strategically releasing prisoners after their complete transformation and integration within the society. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani has supported this move by stating that he had the chance of visiting prisons across Zambia and saw several transformations over time, with prisoners completely dedicated towards service of God. As such, abolishing death penalty is a step in the right direction for Zambia and Zambian Law.