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Amnesty International Zimbabwe yesterday organized a media workshop in which they challenged local journalists to raise awareness on the abolishment of the death penalty in Zimbabwe.
According to Amnesty International, the death penalty is a cruel, inhumane degrading form of punishment. Every individual has the right to respect the dignity of a human being and in recognition of legal status.
According to Section 48 of the Zimbabwe constitution, the death penalty may be imposed for murder committed in aggravating circumstances and for men aged 21 and 70 years.
Speaking at the same workshop, Honourable Edwin Mushoriwa said there are high chances that Zimbabwe will abolish the death penalty sentence.
“The death penalty will be abolished in Zimbabwe if the Parliament passes an Act amending section 47 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act,” he said.
The cabinet approved the principles of the death penalty abolition bill which is progressive. By the end of this year, Zimbabwe is going to be the one who abolished the death penalty.
Advocate Tererai Mafukidze said, “If it is a ritual murder we want to deal with the witch doctor, go to the heart of this”.
Amnesty International Campaign Officer Lucy Chivasa said, “The death penalty is never an issue of public opinion but a political will. The death penalty goes against the religious and humanist values that are common to all humanity”.
As a way of raising awareness of the death penalty, Amnesty International is going to work together with journalists, community radios, human rights education to the society as well as to make videos as sometimes the text is difficult to understand, do campaigns and convince the community on death penalty issues.
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