When Zimbabwe scrapped the death penalty at the close of 2024, human rights groups cheered the breakthrough.
For many citizens, though, the move stirred debate rather than relief.
Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty
On December 31, 2024, the government abolished the death penalty.
The move, championed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, himself a former death row inmate during the liberation struggle, spared the lives of at least 59 prisoners who had been awaiting execution. Zimbabwe had not executed in more than two decades.
How Zimbabweans view the death penalty
According to Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 1041, published on 8 September 2025 by researchers Simangele Moyo-Nyede and Suhaylah Peeraullee, Zimbabweans remain divided on the question of the death penalty.
A June 2024 Afrobarometer survey, conducted just months before the reform, revealed that 55% of Zimbabweans supported the death penalty as a fair punishment for the most serious crimes, such as murder. Meanwhile, 44% said no crime could justify execution.
Support for capital punishment was strongest among citizens facing high levels of poverty (60%) and weakest in Masvingo Province, where less than half (44%) favored it.
These results suggest that while the government took a bold step in abolishing the death penalty, many Zimbabweans remain unconvinced that justice can be served without it.
Trust in the courts, but concerns about fairness
Beyond the death sentence, the Afrobarometer study also highlighted broader perceptions of Zimbabwe’s judicial system.
- 53% of citizens said punishments for ordinary people are “about right,” though nearly a third (31%) found them too harsh.
- In contrast, 56% felt that sentences for political elites and powerful individuals are “too lenient.”
- Almost two-thirds (65%) believed officials who commit crimes “often” or “always” go unpunished.
- A similar majority (64%) said people are “often” or “always” treated unequally before the law.
Despite these concerns, trust in the courts remains relatively strong. According to the survey, six in 10 Zimbabweans (60%) expressed confidence in the judiciary, while a majority also believed they would receive a fair (56%) and timely (51%) resolution if they went to court with a legal problem.
About 62% said ordinary citizens can obtain justice in the courts.
Do you think abolishing the death penalty will strengthen justice in Zimbabwe?
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