Zimbabwe ends death penalty after decades
Zimbabwe has officially abolished death penalty as a sentencing option.
This comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law on December 31, 2024.
This new law means death sentences will no longer be given in the country. It also changes the sentences of about 60 prisoners on death row to life imprisonment.
However, the law allows the death penalty to return during states of emergency.
Human rights groups are urging the government to remove this clause arguing that the abolition should be permanent and not tied to political decisions.
Zimbabwe has not carried out an execution in almost 20 years. The last person was hanged in 2005, but the country had not officially banned executions until now.
Rights group Amnesty International praised the decision, calling it a “beacon of hope” for Africa. Zimbabwe joins 24 African countries which have completely abolished the death penalty.
This change makes Zimbabwe the 127th country in the world to stop using capital punishment.
