By Staff Reporter
Harare – Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s signing of the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law.
The landmark legislation, published in the government gazette, eliminates capital punishment in the country.
This historic move comes after a unanimous parliamentary vote earlier in December to scrap the death penalty, marking a significant shift in Zimbabwe’s judicial system.
The new law spares the lives of approximately 60 prisoners currently on death row.
Zimbabwe has not carried out an execution since 2005, partly due to the absence of an individual willing to take up the role of executioner.
The abolition is the culmination of efforts led by Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa, who introduced a Private Member’s Bill in 2023.
Mushoriwa sought amendments to Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law Code and the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to permanently outlaw the death penalty.
Under the Death Penalty Abolition Act, courts are now prohibited from imposing capital punishment for any offense.
Additionally, existing death sentences will be commuted to prison terms.
The law includes a provision allowing for the potential suspension of the ban on capital punishment during a state of emergency.
However, the Act explicitly states that no new death sentences can be issued, no existing sentences can be confirmed, and no executions will take place.
“Notwithstanding any other law- (a) no court shall impose sentence of death upon a person for any offence, whenever committed, but instead shall impose whatever other competent sentence is appropriate in the circumstances of the case: (b) the Supreme Court shall not confirm a sentence of death imposed upon an appellant, whenever that sentence may have been imposed, but instead shall substitute whatever other competent sentence is appropriate in the circumstances of the case: (c) no sentence of death, whenever imposed, shall be carried out,” the Act reads.
The legislation, signed on December 31, 2024, aligns Zimbabwe with a growing global trend.
According to Amnesty International, 113 countries worldwide, including 24 in Africa, have fully abolished the death penalty.
Mnangagwa, a staunch opponent of capital punishment, has long advocated for its abolition, citing moral and human rights considerations.
The move has been lauded as a step forward for Zimbabwe’s justice system and its commitment to upholding human dignity.
