Official government announcements or legal publications from countries in southern Africa

Zimbabwe Abolishes Death Penalty Under President Mnangagwa, Commutes Sentences Amid Emergency Clause

Dec 31, 2024, 07:06 PM

Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty, following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's signing of a new law that commutes the sentences of about 60 prisoners on death row to jail time. The southern African nation had not carried out an execution since 2005, though courts continued to issue death sentences for crimes such as murder, treason, and terrorism. The Death Penalty Abolition Act, published in the government gazette, prohibits courts from issuing death sentences for any offense and mandates the commutation of existing death sentences to prison terms. However, the law includes a provision that allows for the reinstatement of the death penalty during a state of emergency. Amnesty International has hailed the move as a 'historic moment,' noting that at least 59 people were under a death sentence in Zimbabwe at the end of 2023. The organization urged authorities to fully abolish the death penalty by removing the clause that permits its use in emergencies.