Zimbabwe’s cabinet recently agreed to proposed legislation to abolish capital punishment, nearly two decades after the last state execution was carried out. Following extended parliamentary debates, the country is now moving towards imposing life imprisonment sentences for aggravated murders.
The cabinet’s decision came through the passing of a private member’s bill, which was introduced at the end of last year. The aim of this bill is to officially bring an end to the death penalty in the country. This move has been welcomed by the United Nations entity in Zimbabwe, who stated that the abolishment indicates an important step towards enhancing human rights and aligning Zimbabwe with global progress in other countries where the punishment has also been outlawed.
Zimbabwe was previously met with critical feedback for employing the death penalty as a means to deter serious crimes. Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s deputy director for East and Southern Africa, stated that the “death penalty violates the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.” Furthermore, Farisè argued that no credible evidence exists to suggest that the death penalty is more effective in deterring crime than prison terms.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has long been a vocal critic of capital punishment. Mnangagwa himself was sentenced to death in 1965, following accusations of bombing a train during Zimbabwe’s fight for independence against British white minority rule.
Despite remaining legal until these recent legislative changes, Zimbabwe has not carried out any executions in the country since 2005. Since gaining independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has executed 79 individuals.
The full details of this development can be found here.