BY STAFF REPORTER
The Zimbabwe Senate has passed the Death Penalty Abolition Bill, paving the way for the country to join the growing list of nations that have abolished capital punishment.
The bill, which has already been approved by the National Assembly, will now be sent to the President for assent and subsequent publication in the Gazette as an Act.
The country has 62 convicted prisoners facing the death penalty.
Veritas has congratulated the Senators, Members of the National Assembly, the President, and the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for their role in facilitating the bill’s passage through Parliament.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who is also the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, defended the bill in the Senate, citing studies that show the death penalty has failed to deter crime.
He emphasized that the actual number of murders remained the same despite the death penalty’s existence, questioning its effectiveness as a deterrent.
Ziyambi also highlighted the bill’s potential to address the root causes of crime, which he believes the death penalty does not tackle. He pointed out the bias of the death penalty against poverty-stricken people, stating that history shows the majority of those executed are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Zimbabwe has been on a de facto moratorium on executions for about 17 years, with the last execution conducted in 2005.