News / National
Mnangagwa must walk the talk on death penalty
24 Feb 2016 at 14:16hrs | Views
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) welcomes the recent remarks made the Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa concerning the abolishing of death penalty in Zimbabwe.
Addressing the 9th International Meeting of the Ministers of Justice in Rome, Italy on Monday, Mnangagwa who is also doubles up as the minister of justice said he was a strong opponent of the death penalty and claimed Zimbabwe was making significant strides towards the elimination of the same from its statutes.
However, as PDP we note with deep regret of Mnangagwa's double speak on the death penalty issue.
Back home, he has been quoted extensively in Parliament clearly stating that the government's official position is that the death penalty was not abolished by the new Constitution.
Furthermore, two Bills affecting the death penalty are due to be considered by the Senate this week. These are; the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill and the General Laws Amendment Bill.
The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill seeks to allow the High Court to pass the death sentence on men aged between 21 and 70 who are convicted of murder under aggravating circumstances while the General Laws Amendment Bill seeks to make death penalty the maximum penalty be imposed for murder committed in aggravating circumstances.
While the government is pushing for the adoption of the death penalty, Mnangagwa whose justice ministry is responsible for drafting the Bill is singing a different tune in Rome.
"Surely we will not hesitate to expunge capital punishment from our laws," he said in Rome this week.
We, therefore, call for the real Mnangagwa stand up and walk his talk on death penalty.
As the PDP, we are fully aware of his presidential ambitions and we find it totally strange that he fails the test of ensuring that he remanis true to his own words.
As the PDP, we are aware and applaud our traditional leaders who have spoken out against the death penalty saying it was an unacceptable form of punishment, which is a relic from the colonial era.
The PDP's position is for the immediate abolition of the death penalty in Zimbabwe as it is totally inhumane, degrading and against international practices. It is a sham that Zimbabwe remains one of the only 37 countries in the world that still practices death penalty.
As PDP, we demand the withdrawal from the Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Amendment Bill and General Laws Amendment Bill, the provisions restoring capital punishment.
Capital punishment is in breach of the country's Constitution, which guarantees and protects the right to life and dignity for every citizen.
The act of hanging an accused person is both barbaric and outdated; and Zimbabwe should follow international standards and the only solution is to abolish the death penalty.
Addressing the 9th International Meeting of the Ministers of Justice in Rome, Italy on Monday, Mnangagwa who is also doubles up as the minister of justice said he was a strong opponent of the death penalty and claimed Zimbabwe was making significant strides towards the elimination of the same from its statutes.
However, as PDP we note with deep regret of Mnangagwa's double speak on the death penalty issue.
Back home, he has been quoted extensively in Parliament clearly stating that the government's official position is that the death penalty was not abolished by the new Constitution.
Furthermore, two Bills affecting the death penalty are due to be considered by the Senate this week. These are; the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill and the General Laws Amendment Bill.
The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill seeks to allow the High Court to pass the death sentence on men aged between 21 and 70 who are convicted of murder under aggravating circumstances while the General Laws Amendment Bill seeks to make death penalty the maximum penalty be imposed for murder committed in aggravating circumstances.
While the government is pushing for the adoption of the death penalty, Mnangagwa whose justice ministry is responsible for drafting the Bill is singing a different tune in Rome.
"Surely we will not hesitate to expunge capital punishment from our laws," he said in Rome this week.
We, therefore, call for the real Mnangagwa stand up and walk his talk on death penalty.
As the PDP, we are fully aware of his presidential ambitions and we find it totally strange that he fails the test of ensuring that he remanis true to his own words.
As the PDP, we are aware and applaud our traditional leaders who have spoken out against the death penalty saying it was an unacceptable form of punishment, which is a relic from the colonial era.
The PDP's position is for the immediate abolition of the death penalty in Zimbabwe as it is totally inhumane, degrading and against international practices. It is a sham that Zimbabwe remains one of the only 37 countries in the world that still practices death penalty.
As PDP, we demand the withdrawal from the Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Amendment Bill and General Laws Amendment Bill, the provisions restoring capital punishment.
Capital punishment is in breach of the country's Constitution, which guarantees and protects the right to life and dignity for every citizen.
The act of hanging an accused person is both barbaric and outdated; and Zimbabwe should follow international standards and the only solution is to abolish the death penalty.
Source - Jacob Mafume - PDP National Spokesperson
