Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Medardo Mazombwe and...

Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka Medardo Mazombwe and Zambia Episcope Conference (ZEC) general secretary Fr. Ignatius Mwebe urged President Mwanawasa to completely abolish the death penalty.
Human Rights Commissioner John Sakulanda said Zambia should move towards being a beacon for respect of fundamental rights of every human being.
In a joint letter all three stated that ZEC had learnt with great joy about the President's decision to commute the death sentences of the condemned prisoners following the attempted 1997 failed coup.
"We applause this courageous decision on our part. We are further heartened by your pledge never to sign a death warrant for as long as you remain President," they stated. "Already the step you took a few months ago in constituting a prerogative of mercy committee, showed that your government was not insensitive to the cries of the people. The people cried and you listened."
They noted President Mwanawasa's gesture clearly underscored the sacredness of human life in Zambia.
"Posterity will remember this merciful gesture. As Christians, we believe that God is the giver of life and only God can take it away," they stated. "We salute you and your government, we urge you to take the extra mile and completely abolish the death sentence all together. We also want to acknowledge the civil society, the Church, the media, family members and friends (both local and international) who have campaigned tirelessly for freedom of people on death row. Let us not forget other condemned prisoners still languishing in Mukobeko who are not high profile and have no one to speak for them."
Sakulanda welcomed the commutation of the 1997 coup convicts' death sentences to jail terms.
Sakulanda said the Human Rights Commission (HRC) considered the move as a step in the right direction for the promotion and protection of human rights in Zambia.
"Even Article 15 of the Republican Constitution prohibits inhuman treatment or punishment with no exceptional circumstances," Sakulanda said. "Zambia is a party to key international human rights standards which prohibit, in absolute terms, the imposition of inhuman punishment even under a guise of lawful punishment."