By Staff Reporter
HUMAN rights body Amnesty International has welcomed cabinet’s recent approval of the death penalty abolishment saying this it’s a positive development towards ending the inhumane form of punishment.
A few days ago Zimbabwe’s cabinet said it was in support of the abolishment of the private member’s bill introduced last year in the National Assembly to abolish the death penalty which was mainly used in the colonial era to protect the regime back then.
However parliament still has to pass the bill into law.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Khanyo Farisè, said the nation has taken right steps towards the end of this unjust punishment.
“Zimbabwe has taken the right step towards ending this abhorrent and inhuman form of punishment that has no place in our world.
“Now that the cabinet has given its nod, Parliament must ensure the death penalty is truly abolished by voting to pass legislation that will make this a reality.”
Amnesty International says it opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception because it violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Meanwhile the constitution of Zimbabwe asserts that the death penalty can be used to men between the ages of 21 and 70 who are convicted of “murder committed in aggravating circumstances,” such as killing a pregnant woman or a child.
Zimbabwe carried out its last execution in 2005 but death sentences have continued to be imposed and currently at least 63 people are on the death row.
