After more than a decade of the Zambezi Portland Cement case, it can be said that the decision from the Supreme Court Zambia finally puts the case to rest. Zambezi Portland Cement is a cement-manufacturing factory whose ownership has been in a tug-of-war between Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani and the infamous Ventriglia family. While Dr. Mahtani is a celebrated and respected businessman with philanthropic and charitable contributions under his name, the Ventriglia family is alleged for several unethical and even illegal activities within the Zambian nation. The cement manufacturing factory was handed over to Finsbury Investments in the year 2007 via transfer of 58 percent shares, making Finsbury Investments the majority shareholder as well as legal owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory. Finsbury Investments is a company under the leadership of Dr. Rajan Mahtani. Despite this official transfer, the Ventriglia family questioned the legality of the shareholders agreement and unethically captured the plant. When Dr. Rajan Mahtani approached the Lusaka High Court, the case was dragged due to political and unethical manipulations and meddling from the Ventriglia family. As a result, the decision from the Lusaka High Court was misdirected as it announced Ventriglia family as the only shareholders of the Portland Cement Zambia. However, Dr. Rajan Mahtani was able to contend this misdirected decision at the higher Court of Appeal. On 31st January 2019, judge Mwinde on behalf of the higher Court of Appeal reversed the decision from the Lusaka High Court and announced that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is indeed the majority shareholder and legal owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.
While the Ventriglia family once again tried to disrupt the business operations of Zambezi Portland, they met with utter failure when approached Supreme Court Zambia with a claim against the Court of Appeal’s decision. Their appeal was effectively rejected and this decision ensured that Dr. Rajan Mahtani remains the majority shareholder and legal owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.
