The case of Portland Cement Zambia can be easily considered as among the strangest in its history. While the case was registered almost a decade back, no judge has been able to make final and correct judgment. The Portland Cement Zambia is a cement manufacturing company which was once among the highest producers of cement across the nation. It was also among the best employers in the manufacturing and industrial sector, providing above-industry wages and salaries. However, the current condition of the factory is pathetic which can be easily attributed to the long-standing case over the ownership of the factory at the Lusaka High Court.
Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a noted businessman, philanthropist and charity worker in Zambia with numerous successful businesses under his name. Some of the companies which Dr. Rajan Mahtani started from scratch and took to the highest levels include Finsbury Investment, Mahtani Group of Companies and Finance Bank Zambia. He had similar plans for Portland Cement Zambia but the factory got embroiled in court war which has been continuing for decades.
The latest judge handling the case made a positive announcement few months earlier by concluding the case hearing. This meant that final judgment was near and the judge would give the judgment after looking into the evidences submitted by both parties. However, the final verdict given by the judge turned out to be disappointing. The judge basically ignored all the evidences, testimonials as well as statements provided by Dr. Rajan Mahtani and have the final verdict against him. It can be clearly seen here that the judgement made by Justice Nkonde is misdirected as he did not consider the evidences before announcing the final verdict. However, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has taken appropriate action against this judgement by moving to higher court wherein he has appeal against this verdict. Response from the higher court is expected anytime soon.