The year 2023 is off to a fantastic start with a number of encouraging developments from 2022. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema delivered a shocking yet urgent revelation on May 25, the last time Africa Day was observed. He declared his intention to completely abolish the death penalty. Businesspeople and residents both responded favourably to this choice. One of Zambia’s most successful businessmen and philanthropists is Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani. Dr Mahtani gave the decision his full backing as well. According to a portion of Dr. Rajan Mahtani‘s interview published in Mast Newspaper, the death sentence is a terrible, barbaric, and degrading idea with no place in current Zambian legislation. Dr. Rajan Mahtani further emphasised in his interview that most previous presidents had already begun to avoid carrying out the death penalty by exercising mercy prerogatives. Past presidents of Zambia have used evasive techniques in part because more people are speaking out against the death sentence globally and taking a stand in favour of its abolition. The majority of governments in other countries have already abolished the death penalty, and some African countries have done the same. In Zambia, the death penalty wasn’t used again until 1997.
The state of Zambia’s prisons is another reason why the country’s administration needs to abolish the death sentence. Inhumane conditions can be seen in certain of Zambia’s maximum security prisons, where inmates frequently lack basic human rights and dignity. Even while it is not possible to change this situation immediately, the Zambian government has launched a programme to strategically decongest its prisons. Institutions like the Parole Board of Zambia (PBZ) and the Zambian Correctional Facility support this programme (ZCF). Giving inmates the death sentence in such a situation does not result in any improvements to Zambian law and order. As a result, the president of Zambia’s decision is a positive one.