News / National
'Mugabe ill-advised on death penalty'
04 Nov 2017 at 05:23hrs | Views
THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu says President Robert Mugabe's call for a return of the death penalty is synonymous with dictators who believe death is an acceptable form of punishment to criminals.
Zapu deputy spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said dictators turn themselves into demi-gods and see themselves as the law.
"The call, obviously driven by the succession politics currently obtaining in Zanu-PF, is demonstration of lack of vision on Mugabe's part. It shows he is thinking backwards while he is supposed to move forward together with the country and world," he said.
"By calling for the return of the death penalty, Mugabe demonstrated beyond any doubt his penchant for violating and disregarding the will of the people as espoused in the new Constitution."
Maphosa accused Mugabe of only adhering to the supreme law of the country when it is convenient for him to do that.
"Unbeknown to the old dictator, the return of the death penalty puts him first on the list for the hangman's noose for all the violations he's committed against Zimbabweans," he said.
"So many people have died in this country at the hands and behest of Mugabe and should the death penalty be reinstated, he definitely is the first to receive the ultimate penalty. Crimes such as Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, the 2008 election violence and the continuous economic destruction all led to deaths of hundreds of thousands and only Mugabe is accountable for those deaths."
Maphosa said Mugabe should be wise and take professional advice from his nemesis and deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who, correctly and rightly so, has been at the forefront advocating and working at abolishing the death penalty.
"Mnangagwa is the wiser of the two, who has demonstrated that he is forward-looking and ready to move in a positive direction with the nation, unlike Mugabe, who, probably for the serious ageing that has caught up with him, is obviously thinking backwards," he said.
"It's, however, expected from people of his age as it has been proven that as one grows older, they slowly revert to thinking like they did as a child. Zimbabwe currently does not need leaders of Mugabe's calibre, who refuse professional advice for reasons of settling internal party scores."
Zapu deputy spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said dictators turn themselves into demi-gods and see themselves as the law.
"The call, obviously driven by the succession politics currently obtaining in Zanu-PF, is demonstration of lack of vision on Mugabe's part. It shows he is thinking backwards while he is supposed to move forward together with the country and world," he said.
"By calling for the return of the death penalty, Mugabe demonstrated beyond any doubt his penchant for violating and disregarding the will of the people as espoused in the new Constitution."
Maphosa accused Mugabe of only adhering to the supreme law of the country when it is convenient for him to do that.
"Unbeknown to the old dictator, the return of the death penalty puts him first on the list for the hangman's noose for all the violations he's committed against Zimbabweans," he said.
"So many people have died in this country at the hands and behest of Mugabe and should the death penalty be reinstated, he definitely is the first to receive the ultimate penalty. Crimes such as Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, the 2008 election violence and the continuous economic destruction all led to deaths of hundreds of thousands and only Mugabe is accountable for those deaths."
Maphosa said Mugabe should be wise and take professional advice from his nemesis and deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who, correctly and rightly so, has been at the forefront advocating and working at abolishing the death penalty.
"Mnangagwa is the wiser of the two, who has demonstrated that he is forward-looking and ready to move in a positive direction with the nation, unlike Mugabe, who, probably for the serious ageing that has caught up with him, is obviously thinking backwards," he said.
"It's, however, expected from people of his age as it has been proven that as one grows older, they slowly revert to thinking like they did as a child. Zimbabwe currently does not need leaders of Mugabe's calibre, who refuse professional advice for reasons of settling internal party scores."
Source - newsday
