Others see this as momentum for the abolitionist movement on the continent.

Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law a bill on Tuesday. This will commute the sentences of prisoners on death row to jail time.

Zimbabwe has joined more than two-thirds of the world’s nations in abolishing the death penalty in law or practice.

For those on death row, the news could not have come sooner.

Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi says the abolishment is good for human rights.

“There are certain times that people are human and they make errors. There are times when somebody can actually be sentenced wrongly. Years later, you realise that the individual is not the one that committed the crime. So, imposing a death penalty would mean that you can’t reverse what would have happened. We believe that this a very positive move,” says Ziyambi.

However, human rights defenders are worried about a provision that will allow for the reinstatement of the death penalty, when the state declares any public emergency in terms of Section 113 of the Constitution.

Executive Director for Amnesty International, Zimbabwe, Lucia Masuka says it is important for the government to repeal this provision.

“What is important to highlight is that this sentence under the Defence Act applies to military officers and not necessarily civilians. As amnesty international, we have also highlighted our concern because as a human rights organisation our position is that we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances regardless of the nature of the offence, the individual concerned, the method of execution. So, our call has been for government to repeal this provision that provides for a suspension and a possibility of reinstatement during public emergencies,” explains Masuka.

Since coming into power in 2017 Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa has openly expressed his opposition to capital punishment.

Zimbabwe last carried out an execution in 2005.

Currently, 24 African countries have fully abolished the death penalty.

--SABC--