Section 4.5 of the new draft constitution allows for the imposition of the death penalty on a person convicted of murder but exempts from application of the death penalty all women, men under 21 years and those over 70 years of age.
Zimbabwe should do away with death penalty entirely and join the global trend towards abolition of this ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment. The death penalty should be abolished fully in the new constitution regardless of gender and the circumstances in which a crime is/was committed. Death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
In view of these rights which are recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights to which Zimbabwe is a state party, surely the Zimbabwean authorities should abolish DEATH PENALTY. – Pythias Makonese
I would like to add my few sentiments on what Pythias Makonese has just echoed to the Editor and the rest of the readers:-
Zimbabwe is still using a constitution inherited from the colonial era and has executed 78 people since 1980.
Most Southern African countries have totally abolished the death penalty.
No hangman since 2003 – so why worry on Death Penalty when they are no takers to this vacant post since the Government advertised it.
Death penalty, when applied, cannot be reversed if the truth is later discovered. Life imprisonment is better off
It doesn’t deter crime and it costs taxpayer more than life imprisonment. Look at countries such as the USA who have retained capital punishment they still experience high crime rates.
This is subject to abuse as this could be a move to protect senior ZANU-PF officials accused of gross human rights abuses in the previous elections. Use of ‘child soldier’ – ZANU-PF youth and even introduction of women in political killings,can be manipulated here without impunity.
By abolishing death penalty, Zimbabwe will have an opportunity to significantly improve its human rights record and align itself with the Global trend towards this issue.