Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty, a historic move nearly two decades after the country last carried out an execution.
The law was signed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who himself narrowly escaped the death penalty in the 1960s during Zimbabwe’s war of independence. The bill was passed by Parliament earlier this week.
The new law brings relief to the approximately 60 prisoners currently on death row, as their sentences are now commuted.
Zimbabwe has not executed anyone since 2005, largely due to difficulties in finding someone willing to take the role of state executioner.
Amnesty International praised the abolition, calling it a “beacon of hope” for the region’s abolitionist movement.
Several other African nations, such as Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana, have also moved towards abolishing capital punishment, although the change has yet to become law in those countries.
President Mnangagwa has long been a vocal opponent of the death penalty.
He has shared his own experience of being sentenced to death for a bombing incident during the war, which was later reduced to a 10-year prison sentence.
Globally, Amnesty International reports that about three-quarters of countries still practice capital punishment.
However, Zimbabwe’s action adds it to the growing list of 24 African nations that have fully abolished the death penalty.
Amnesty also highlighted a rise in global executions, with 1,153 executions recorded in 2023, a significant increase from the previous year.
Despite this, fewer countries are carrying out executions, with 16 nations involved in the grim practice last year.