UN applauds Zim for abolishing death penalty

Herald Reporter

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has commended Zimbabwe for officially abolishing the death penalty.

This recognition followed an address by the Attorney-General of Zimbabwe Mrs Virginia Mabiza, at the UN’s Biennial High-Level Panel Discussion on the Judiciary’s Contribution to Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.

In her presentation on Tuesday, Mrs Mabiza outlined the historical context of the death penalty in Zimbabwe, detailing its evolution through three distinct phases.

These are the pre-colonial era, which emphasised restorative justice, the colonial period, marked by retributive practices and the post-colonial era, which focused on justice and human rights. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said Zimbabwe’s decision aligns with a growing global trend, as 113 countries have abolished the death penalty completely.

Mrs Mabiza explained that the death penalty was introduced by colonial powers in the 18th century and persisted even after Zimbabwe gained Independence in 1980.

She said at that time, a range of offences — including murder, treason and aggravated robbery — were punishable by death.

“Since then, various legislative and policy interventions were implemented to gradually reduce the number of crimes attracting the death penalty,” said Mrs Mabiza.

“In 2013, the number of offences attracting the death penalty had been reduced from nine to only one namely murder committed in aggravating circumstances.

“This ensured compliance with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 52 on reducing the number of offences that attract the death penalty.”

Mrs Mabiza highlighted the judiciary’s critical role in this transformation, noting that higher courts have consistently found the death penalty to violate human rights, leading to many sentences being commuted to life imprisonment.

Since 2005, no executions have taken place in Zimbabwe, a testament to the Judiciary’s discretion and evolving legal framework.

She said the adoption of a new Constitution in 2013 marked a pivotal point, incorporating a Bill of Rights that explicitly exempted vulnerable groups from capital punishment.

Mrs Mabiza said this reform, along with the strong political will from President Mnangagwa, culminated in the enactment of the Death Penalty Abolition Act in 2024 which prohibits the imposition of the death penalty.

After Mrs Mabiza’s address, Zimbabwe drew praise from numerous countries, including Belgium and Switzerland.