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Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law a groundbreaking bill abolishing the death penalty, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to justice and human rights.
The move, effective immediately, follows a parliamentary vote in December to scrap capital punishment.
Rights group Amnesty International hailed the decision as a “beacon of hope for the abolitionist movement in the region.” However, the group expressed concerns over a clause allowing the death penalty to be reinstated during a state of emergency, urging authorities to eliminate this provision.
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The death penalty was introduced in Zimbabwe during British colonial rule. Despite the country’s last execution taking place in 2005, courts continued to impose death sentences for crimes such as murder. By the end of 2023, approximately 60 inmates remained on death row, according to Amnesty.
These individuals will now face re-sentencing, with courts instructed to consider factors such as the nature of the crime, time served on death row, and personal circumstances.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi described the abolition as “more than a legal reform,” calling it a demonstration of Zimbabwe’s commitment to justice and humanity.
President Mnangagwa, a long-standing opponent of capital punishment, has previously spoken out against the practice. His opposition is deeply personal—he was sentenced to death in the 1960s for sabotaging a train during Zimbabwe’s guerrilla war for independence.
His sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison.
Amnesty International lauded the passage of the Death Penalty Abolition Act as a “major milestone” in global efforts to end what it called the “ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.” Zimbabwe joins 113 countries worldwide, including 24 in Africa, that have fully abolished the death penalty.
Amnesty also highlighted the five countries with the highest number of executions in 2023—China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United States.
Despite this progressive step, Amnesty urged Zimbabwean authorities to address the clause allowing the death penalty during states of emergency. The rights group emphasised that true abolition requires the permanent removal of any potential for reinstatement.
President Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party, which has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, has faced criticism from opposition groups and rights organisations for its governance style. Critics accuse the party of employing authoritarian tactics to maintain power.
Source: BBC
