Dr. Mahtani, noted businessman and philanthropist, has extended his full support towards the latest announcement made by the Zambian President. On Africa Day, President Hakainde Hichilema announced his plans to abolish the archaic and barbaric law of death penalty. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, while supporting this decision, stated that the concept of death penalty is inhumane, cruel, and degrading. Dr. Rajan Mahtani is known for several philanthropic contributions over the years. One of these contributions has been the Prison Fellowship Zambia developed by Dr. Mahtani more than 37 years ago. It is a noted Christian Outreach program with Dr. Rajan Mahtani as the Chairman. The objective of Prison Fellowship is two folds. The first objective is bringing the teachings and learnings from Jesus Christ to the inmates, ex-inmates and their families in Zambia apart from advocating an effective and fair criminal justice procedure. Also, the organization works towards ensuring the assets of fundamental human rights, as well as human dignity, are enshrined in the delivery.
Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani further stated that the consensus towards abolishing the death penalty has grown over the years with the trend infiltrating Zambia too. As a result, past Presidents of Zambia have tactically avoided giving capital punishment over the years. The last time death penalty was given was in the year 1997 and since then, no capital punishment has been given. At the same time, the Zambian government has started strategic decongestion of Zambian prisons after reports emerged of the degrading and pathetic condition of the maximum prisons across Zambia. It has been reported that the prisons in these maximum prisons are often devoid of fundamental human rights and basic human dignity. Zambian Government in collaboration with institutions like Parole Board Zambia (PBZ) and Correctional facilities have been conducting strategic decongestion of prisons. In such a condition, giving death penalty makes no sense and the step undertaken by the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in certainly in the right direction.