Zimbabwe officially ended capital punishment last December and started the process of resentencing 44 inmates previously facing execution. The court records for these individuals have moved to the National Prosecuting Authority, preparing for their cases to appear before the High Court for new sentencing decisions. The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service recently provided complete information about all prisoners who had received death sentences. Officials successfully located 44 of the 48 relevant case files needed for this procedure.
These individuals received their original sentences because they were murdered with serious aggravating factors. Such factors included planned killings, extremely violent methods, or especially vulnerable victims, such as children or elderly people. During the upcoming resentencing hearings, judges must evaluate multiple aspects of each situation. They need to consider what exactly happened during the crime, examine the background of each prisoner, and determine what serves the public interest most effectively.
Courts must also factor in how long each person stayed on death row, how they were treated during that period, and whether they might commit crimes again if released. The law specifically prohibits judges from sentencing anyone to death, as this option no longer exists under Zimbabwean legal standards. Mrs. Vimbai Nyemba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, explained the government considers this resentencing work essential and urgent.
On February 5, 2025, Mrs. Nyemba organized a meeting with key stakeholders, including the Judicial Service Commission, to plan implementation steps for the Death Penalty Abolition Act. The prison service delivered all required prisoner details by February 7. The next phase requires coordination between judicial officials and prosecutors to bring each offender before the High Court for fresh sentencing decisions. Each case receives individual consideration, with judges applying their legal discretion to determine appropriate penalties.
The resentencing follows a structured legal approach beginning with preparatory work. The judge, prosecution team, and defense lawyers must thoroughly review the full case history before holding a pre-sentencing hearing. President Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law on December 31, 2024, officially removing execution as a possible sentence for any crime in Zimbabwe. Prior to complete abolition, the 2013 Constitution had already limited capital punishment by protecting women, young people under 21, and seniors over 70 from facing execution.
Since gaining independence in 1980, Zimbabwe carried out 105 executions, with the final hanging occurring in July 2005. The current resentencing efforts involve the remaining 48 prisoners who faced death sentences before the law changed. This process represents the final step in bringing the justice system fully in line with the new legal framework that eliminates capital punishment from Zimbabwean law.
These individuals received their original sentences because they were murdered with serious aggravating factors. Such factors included planned killings, extremely violent methods, or especially vulnerable victims, such as children or elderly people. During the upcoming resentencing hearings, judges must evaluate multiple aspects of each situation. They need to consider what exactly happened during the crime, examine the background of each prisoner, and determine what serves the public interest most effectively.
Courts must also factor in how long each person stayed on death row, how they were treated during that period, and whether they might commit crimes again if released. The law specifically prohibits judges from sentencing anyone to death, as this option no longer exists under Zimbabwean legal standards. Mrs. Vimbai Nyemba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, explained the government considers this resentencing work essential and urgent.
On February 5, 2025, Mrs. Nyemba organized a meeting with key stakeholders, including the Judicial Service Commission, to plan implementation steps for the Death Penalty Abolition Act. The prison service delivered all required prisoner details by February 7. The next phase requires coordination between judicial officials and prosecutors to bring each offender before the High Court for fresh sentencing decisions. Each case receives individual consideration, with judges applying their legal discretion to determine appropriate penalties.
The resentencing follows a structured legal approach beginning with preparatory work. The judge, prosecution team, and defense lawyers must thoroughly review the full case history before holding a pre-sentencing hearing. President Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law on December 31, 2024, officially removing execution as a possible sentence for any crime in Zimbabwe. Prior to complete abolition, the 2013 Constitution had already limited capital punishment by protecting women, young people under 21, and seniors over 70 from facing execution.
Since gaining independence in 1980, Zimbabwe carried out 105 executions, with the final hanging occurring in July 2005. The current resentencing efforts involve the remaining 48 prisoners who faced death sentences before the law changed. This process represents the final step in bringing the justice system fully in line with the new legal framework that eliminates capital punishment from Zimbabwean law.
