Zimbabwe has officially abolished the death penalty with the passing of the Death Penalty Abolition Act 2024 on December 31, becoming the 127th country worldwide to eliminate capital punishment.
This marks the end of an era, as Zimbabwe hasn’t carried out an execution since 2005.
The historic move began with a private member’s bill introduced in parliament by opposition MP Edwin Mushoriwa.
Although the government made amendments to the proposal, it ultimately paved the way for this significant legislative change.
Across Africa, momentum against the death penalty is growing. Of the 55 African Union member states, only seven actively retentionist countries, including Egypt, Somalia, and South Sudan, have carried out executions in the last decade.
Meanwhile, 26 African nations have abolished capital punishment entirely, with recent examples being Ghana, Zambia, and the Central African Republic. An additional 14 African countries currently have moratoriums on executions.
In Zimbabwe, public opinion had often been cited as a barrier to abolition. Over a decade ago, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, then serving as Minister of Justice, denounced the death penalty as an “odious and obnoxious provision”.
However, political hesitation, largely attributed to perceived public support for the practice, delayed reforms.
Research by organizations like the Death Penalty Project in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean has consistently shown that assumptions about strong public support for the death penalty are often overstated or inaccurate.
Zimbabwe’s abolition marks a crucial step towards aligning its justice system with international human rights standards and reinforces the growing global movement against capital punishment.
