Zimbabwe's cabinet agrees to support parliament's move to abolish the death penalty
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's cabinet has agreed to support a parliamentary move to abolish the death penalty, which was last practiced in the southern African country nearly two decades ago.
Although hanging was used as a method of execution in Zimbabwe, no one has been hanged since 2005. One reason for this is that, for many years, no one has sought the position of national executioner, or hangman. In 2022, Zimbabwe's Sunday Mail newspaper reported that several people had applied for the role, including two women. No one was hired.
Zimbabwe is one of more than a dozen African countries and more than 50 countries around the world that have non-suspension of the death penalty in law.
The cabinet's decision to support the law reform, taken at Tuesday's meeting, is an important step. It still needs to be passed by Congress.
“Given the need to maintain deterrence when sentencing murderers, the new law is expected to impose long sentences without violating the right to life,” Information Minister Genfan Mswea said. Stated.
The move is expected to have bipartisan support, with opposition lawmaker Edwin Musholiwa also saying on Wednesday that he supports repeal.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was re-elected for a second term in August, has voiced his opposition to the death penalty, citing his personal experience of being sentenced to death for bombing a train during Zimbabwe's war of independence in the 1960s. has been repeatedly stated. This country was called Rhodesia and was ruled by a white minority. His sentence was changed to 10 years in prison.
According to Zimbabwe's constitution, the death penalty can only be applied to men between the ages of 21 and 70 who are convicted of “murder committed under aggravating circumstances,” such as the killing of a pregnant woman or child.
The death penalty is a colonial-era law carried over when Zimbabwe gained independence from white minority rule in 1980.
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