The Government has already gazetted the bill after it
sailed through the lower and upper houses. Zimbabwe last had execution in 2005
and 61 inmates have been on the row since then until Tapiwa Makore’s two
murderers were sentenced to death by Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi.
However, Mushoriwa said the death penalty must be abolished
in totality since there is a high risk that future Parliamentarians might
re-enact the law because the constitution provide for that.
“I am worried that other MPs who might come in the future
could re-eanct the law because our constitution has that loophole. So, I hope
the death penalty is going to be totally abolished,” said Mushoriwa.
The move was lauded by Amnesty International Zimbabwe as
the right step towards ending the inhuman punishment. Amnesty International has
been opposing the death penalty for a long time without exception because it
violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
South African-based lawyer, Advocate Tererai Rector
Mafukidze who is a member of the Johannesburg Bar buttressed Amnesty
International Zimbabwe’s position on death penalty and told journalists that
the abolishment of the death penalty was overdue as the law is archaic.
“The death penalty serves no purpose. It has been used as a
polictical tool to victimise black opponents particularly during the colonial
era and post independence,” said avocate Mafukidze. Masvingo Mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment