In any nation, the policies and practices are important for smooth running of the government and courts hold a significant position in this governance. Zambia, being a developing nation, needs a strong justice department to ensure that illegal, unethical and corrupt practices are controlled and transparent policies and practices are encouraged. However, the current judicial system of Zambia can be said to be exact opposite, hosting criminal and unjustified entities and unable to provide justice to the honest and innocent.
Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a notable businessman in Zambia and has established numerous successful enterprises in his 30 plus years of business experience. He is also known for his philanthropic activities and charity works. His transparent and ethical business nature is known to all. Therefore, it was shocking to know that Dr. Rajan Mahtani has been charged by the Tribunal and lost a case. However, this is exactly what happened in the 2012 case. As per the testimony by the Supreme Court Judge, the final verdict given by the Tribunal in the 2012 case was motivated by several political undertones and clearly indicated outside influence.
Supreme Court Judge Mumba Malila testified before the court in the month of October 2018. In his testimony, he revealed some of the biggest corruption issues occurring within Zambia. One of the significant information his testimony revealed was the impact of corrupt politicians and businessmen on the decision making of the government. According to his testimony, the 2012 case against Dr. Rajan Mahtani was unethical as it was against the interests of the public policies. Even after appealing before the Tribunal and requested the case to be made null and void, no actions were taken during that time.
It is unclear whether the case will be re-opened or not after the testimony from the Supreme Court judge, however, one thing is clear. Zambian law and government needs to take immediate actions to ensure that corruption is reduced.