Zimbabweans want death penalty back

More than half of Zimbabweans believe the death penalty is a fair punishment for heinous crimes, according to the latest report by Afrobarometer, a continental public opinion research organisation.

The survey, conducted a few months before the formal abolition of capital punishment on December 31, 2024, explored public perceptions of the country's judicial system and attitudes toward criminal justice.

"Afrobarometer surveyed Zimbabweans to find out what they think about the death penalty as part of a broader exploration of their perceptions of the country's judicial system," reads the report's summary. "More than half of Zimbabweans believe the death penalty is a fair punishment for those who commit the most serious crimes, although a significant minority think there is no crime for which the death penalty can be justified."

The move to abolish the death sentence in Zimbabwe was hailed as progressive by human rights groups such as Amnesty International. Zimbabwe became only the fifth African country to formally remove capital punishment, a decision shaped in part by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's own history. Mnangagwa had been sentenced to death in the 1960s by the colonial regime for his role in the fight for independence.

Since the abolition, 59 inmates who were on death row have had their sentences commuted. High Court judges have been tasked with re-sentencing these individuals, taking into account the nature of their crimes, the length of time spent on death row, and their personal circumstances.

The Afrobarometer findings highlight a tension within Zimbabwean society, where a strong desire for justice and accountability exists alongside a broader cultural inclination toward non-violence.