Harare’s Stance on Capital Punishment Could Urge other States to Follow

Zimbabwe’s parliament has started nationwide consultations after the Cabinet in February agreed to abolish the death penalty to conform with international standards. A 2018 survey found 61% of Zimbabweans supported retention of the death penalty. However, a 2020 survey of Zimbabwean opinion leaders showed strong support for abolition. Should Zimbabwe join the list of abolitionist states, a tipping point could be reached. A turn towards abolition is also what African Union human rights bodies require. While the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights does not deal with the death penalty, its monitoring body, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has adopted a number of resolutions urging African states to observe a moratorium on the death penalty. 

SOURCE: VOA NEWS | THE CONVERSATION