Zimbabwe takes historic decision to abolish the death penalty

Views and News with Clarence Ford

Zimbabwe has not executed anyone since 2005, and now, with a new law passed in December 2024, it has officially ended the death penalty. This makes Zimbabwe the 127th country in the world to do so. In the past, some leaders believed that people in Zimbabwe wanted to keep the death penalty, but research showed otherwise. Many Zimbabweans didn’t know much about it and said they would support getting rid of it if the government decided to do so. Leaders also worried about innocent people being sentenced to death and felt that social programs like better education and reducing poverty would help reduce crime more than the death penalty.

President Mnangagwa has always been against the death penalty, calling it unfair and a violation of human rights. Thanks to research and discussions led by organizations, Zimbabwe’s leaders agreed to end it. By abolishing the death penalty, Zimbabwe has joined many other countries in promoting human rights and focusing on better ways to reduce crime.

Lucia Masuka, Amnesty International Zimbabwe’s Executive Director joins us on the line.

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