More than half of Zimbabweans surveyed by Afrobarometer believe the death penalty is a fair punishment for those who commit heinous crimes, the continental organisation's latest report has revealed.

The survey was conducted a few months before the abolishment, on December 31, 2024.

Touted as a progressive move by Amnesty International in 2024, the decision got mixed public feelings from a society caught between a non-violent culture and the desire to see those who commit ruthless crimes punished.

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"Afrobarometer surveyed Zimbabweans to find out what they think about the death penalty as part of a broader exploration of their perceptions of the country's judicial system," reads the report's summary.

"More than half of Zimbabweans believe the death penalty is a fair punishment for those who commit the most serious crimes, although a significant minority think there is no crime for which the death penalty can be justified."

Zimbabwe became only the fifth African country to do away with the death sentence, an issue made easier for abolitionists by the fact that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had once been on death row in the 1960s.

He was arrested and charged with "terrorism" by the colonial regime against his role in the fight for independence.

His decision to abolish the death sentence saved 59 lives on death row since the early 2000s, when Zimbabwe last carried out an execution.

High Court judges were tasked with re-sentencing criminals on death row, taking into consideration their crimes, duration of stay on death row and personal circumstances.