Amnesty International has urged Gambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe to abolish the death penalty and set an example for other countries around the world following a decade-long halt in executions in these countries. Amnesty’s Zimbabwe head, Lucia Masuka, highlighted that global trends are shifting away from the death penalty and called on African nations to follow suit. She noted the experience of Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who narrowly avoided execution after his death sentence was changed to imprisonment. In 2017, Mnangagwa promised to repeal the death penalty in Zimbabwe. He reiterated his promise during an address to parliament this month, urging lawmakers to pass bills related to the abolition of the death penalty. Casten Matewu, a Zimbabwean opposition legislator, expressed confidence that the abolition bill would pass in Parliament. However, some, like lawyer Zachariah Choga, oppose abolition, arguing that the death penalty deters violent crime.
SOURCE: VOA NEWS