Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Human Rights Commission welcomed the statement by President Hakainde Hichilema that government has taken a decision to abolish the death penalty.
Commission Chairperson Mudford Mwandenga says the statement by the president delivered on the eve of Africa Freedom Day Inter Alia that the government had resolved to abolish the death penalty and that it will work with the national assembly to actualize that resolution is a landmark step towards enhancing the promotion and protection of the right to life.
Mr. Mwandenga says death penalty constitutes the ultimate and irreversible gross violation of human rights which should never be practiced anywhere in the world in the 21st century.
He says Zambia has had a moratorium on the death penalty since 1997 when the last executions took place and that Zambia is therefore considered a de facto death penalty abolitionist country as it has not implemented the cruel and inhuman practice for more than 10 years which is the internationally recognized threshold for a country to be considered to have abolished the death penalty in practice.
Mr. Mwandenga says by abolishing the death penalty both in practice and law, Zambia will join the increasing global movement in which, a total of 108 countries has abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
He feels that the president and his administration are within the ambit of the universally accepted best practices on abolishing the death penalty.
Mr. Mwandenga says the progressive presidential pronouncement on abolishing the death penalty will be followed with tangible action on legal reforms.
And Mr. Mwandenga has commended president hichilema for pardoning 2,652 inmates and commuting 30 death row sentences to life imprisonment in accordance with powers bestowed on him by article 97 of the constitution.