Brussels 31.12.2024 President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the death penalty abolition bill into law December 31, 2024.

“Yes, the president had a personal role he played in moving matters in that direction, and this [is] arising from his own historical experience [as] a prisoner who had been condemned but only survived on the basis of age. But we want to situate this decision as a decision of parliament,” spokesman George Charamba said.
Edwin Mushoriwa, an opposition member of parliament, introduced the death abolition bill. And parliament — which is dominated by the ruling ZANU-PF — accepted the idea.

Mnangagwa himself survived a death sentence during the colonial era in the 1970s, as he was considered underage to face the execution.

“We are happy [with the] milestone we have actually reached,” Mushoriwa said. “The reason I had to bring that bill actually [has] to do with the fact that out of the 62 inmates today on the death row, the majority of them come from poor backgrounds. Secondly, [the] death penalty by nature is not part of our culture as Africans, as Zimbabweans. It’s a penalty that was brought during the colonial era. So, we just believe that [the] death penalty is not proper.”

Although many countries have abolished capital punishment, over half of the world’s population live in countries where the death penalty is retained, including India, the U.S., Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Vietnam, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and DR Congo.

The last known execution in Zimbabwe was carried out in 2005 even if courts continue to impose death sentences. However, since President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office in November 2017, he has made his opposition to the death penalty clear.