ZIMBABWE is on the brink of abolishing the death penalty for all crimes, with a Bill awaiting approval by the Senate and potentially reaching the President's desk by June.
The Bill started off as a private member's Bill, receiving backing from the Government in February and then being taken over by the Government last month.
To avoid amending the Constitution, which would require a referendum in this case, the Bill now amends the laws that allow the option of a death penalty so that when enacted no crime will attract the death penalty.
Dzivaresekwa MP Mr Edwin Mushoriwa, who introduced the Bill, said capital punishment does not serve as true retribution, but simply ends a life.
"The Bill now faces the Senate, and upon approval, will be presented to President Mnangagwa for his signature," he said.
"This final step could see Zimbabwe enact a Death Penalty Abolishment Act as early as June. We are on the verge of abolishing the death penalty. Death penalty is not a punishment, but a penalty because once a person is executed, they are not coming back."
Mr Mushoriwa also expressed gratitude to those who advocated abolition and emphasised his confidence in achieving this goal by the end of June.
Amnesty International also voiced their support for the Bill.
Ms Roselina Muzerengi, a campaigns coordinator said international human rights declarations guarantee the right to life and prohibit cruel punishment.
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"The United Nations reaffirmed and strengthened its position against the death penalty and we have been making progress as a country in terms of abolishing the death penalty," she said.
"African Commission of Human and People's Rights provides for the right to life and integrity of the person for every human being. Zimbabwe has not executed anyone since 2005, but has not reached an abolition of the death penalty."
Zimbabwe has not carried out an execution since 2005, although death sentences have continued and the move reflects a long-held aversion to capital punishment.
Upon gaining independence, the nation significantly reduced the number of crimes punishable by death, ultimately reserving it for murder without mitigating circumstances.
The Lancaster House Constitution mandated Cabinet approval for hangings, and a growing opposition to the practice became evident in the 1990s.
This resulted in a rise in Presidential clemency, effectively commuting death sentences to life imprisonment.
