Zimbabwe
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Murder, rape, aggravated robbery, illegal possession...
- News items in the archive
- 203
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Zimbabwe is classified as Abolitionist de facto in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 203 news items on Zimbabwe, from 1999 to today.
Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in December 2024, commuting the sentences of the people who were on death row. The country had not carried out an execution in decades, but had gone on handing down sentences.
The archive follows the path that led to abolition and what has come since.
Latest news
JANUARY 29, 2025ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE BEGINS RESENTENCING OF DEATH ROW INMATES AFTER ABOLISHING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Zimbabwe has started the process of resentencing prisoners who were on death row after officially abolishing the death penalty, the Global South World reported on January 22, 2025.
DECEMBER 31, 2024ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA SIGNS BILL ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe officially abolished the death penalty on December 31, 2024, after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law an act that will commute to jail time the sentences of prisoners on death row.
- DECEMBER 15, 2024ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: SENATE APPROVES BILL TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe’s Senate has approved a bill to abolish the death penalty, a key step in scrapping a law last used in the southern African nation nearly 20 years ago.
- APRIL 21, 2024ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE FREES PRISONERS, INCLUDING THOSE SENTENCED TO DEATH, IN AN INDEPENDENCE DAY AMNESTY
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted clemency to more than 4,000 prisoners, including some who were on death row, in an independence day amnesty on April 18, 2024.
- FEBRUARY 7, 2024ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwean Cabinet on February 6, 2024 approved the abolition of the death penalty and, in its place, endorsed the imposition of lengthy to life jail sentences.
JULY 19, 2023ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF CHILD
A Zimbabwean High Court Judge on July 12, 2023 sentenced two convicted murderers to death for the killing of a 7-year-old boy, Tapiwa Makore, three years ago in the country’s Mashonaland East Province in rural Murewa area.
MAY 22, 2023ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE RELEASES PRISONERS IN AMNESTY, REDUCING OVERCROWDING
Zimbabwe has begun releasing more than 4,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty that authorities say will help ease congestion in some overcrowded jails.
- MAY 15, 2023ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: MNANGAGWA GRANTS AMNESTY TO THOUSANDS OF NON-VIOLENT INMATES
An amnesty has been granted to thousands of prisoners serving time for non-violent offences with President Emmerson Mnangagwa exercising executive clemency to release inmates who had served at least one third of their jail term
MARCH 30, 2023ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWEANS START DEBATE ON ENDING DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe’s government has started two weeks of nationwide consultations on whether to abolish capital punishment for people convicted of premeditated murder.
- OCTOBER 20, 2021ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HIS EMPLOYEE
A High Court judge on 18 October 2021 sentenced a Hwedza man to death for the murder of his employer in 2015 and throwing the body into Rhodesville Dam.
MAY 28, 2021ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE UNVEILS SCULPTURE OF WOMAN HANGED FOR OPPOSING COLONIAL RULE
Zimbabwe’s president on 25 May 2021 unveiled a towering bronze statue in the centre of Harare, the capital, honouring a 19th-century black anti-colonialist heroine who was hanged for leading a rebellion against white occupation.
JUNE 23, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: TWO TAXI DRIVER KILLERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A High Court judge has condemned two robbers to death for killing a taxi driver in Harare two years ago, The Herald reported on 22 June 2020.
JUNE 10, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: MNANGAGWA REITERATES STANCE ON DEATH PENALTY
President Mnangagwa has reiterated his call for the abolition of capital punishment in Zimbabwe and has noted that a moratorium on executions has been in place since 2005.
- APRIL 6, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: EIGHT DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED AND 1.680 INMATES RELEASED
At least eight prisoners, who have been on the death row for periods ranging from 10 to 12 years, this week had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment in line with the recent Presidential clemency order, ZimEye reported on 4 April 2020.
MARCH 30, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT MNANGAGWA PARDONS 5,000 PRISONERS AS HE ORDERS 21-DAY LOCKDOWN
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 27 March 2020 directed the freeing of 5,000 prisoners with immediate effect as he declared a 21-day coronavirus national lockdown.
MARCH 23, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A serial rapist from Bulawayo who raped and murdered a woman from Cowdray Park suburb who was coming from fetching firewood with her two neighbours was on 20 March 2020 sentenced to death.
FEBRUARY 19, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: TWO BROTHERS TO BE HANGED FOR TWO MURDERS
Two siblings from the Midlands province, who ganged up and murdered a taxi driver in Bulawayo and a shop owner in Inyathi in Matabeleland North before stealing their property worth more than US$6 000, were on 17 February 2020 sentenced to death by hanging
- JANUARY 1, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
After independence from Britain in 1980, there were nine offences which warranted
After independence from Britain in 1980, there were nine offences which warranted
APRIL 5, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING LOVER
The High Court sentenced a Harare man to death by hanging on 20 March 2019 for killing his lover and her three children.
APRIL 2, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: 61% AGAINST AND 41% FOR THE DEATH PENALTY
The Mass Public Opinion Institute’s study revealed lack of consensus among Zimbabweans on the death penalty issue.
MARCH 14, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: UNDERWEAR ROBBER, SERIAL KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A serial killer dubbed the “Underwear Robber” for stealing his victims’ clothes and forcing them to walk naked was on 12 March 2019 handed a death as well as a life sentence for killing three people and robbing them of their cellphones and money.
FEBRUARY 6, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: GOVT REMOVES 34 FROM DEATH ROW TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT AS DEATH SENTENCE PHASES OUT
Government has shown its commitment towards abolishing the death penalty in line with international human rights obligations after it commuted sentences of 34 inmates on death row to life terms, a Cabinet minister said on 31 January 2019.
- JANUARY 1, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
After independence from Britain in 1980, there were nine offences which warranted
After independence from Britain in 1980, there were nine offences which warranted
- DECEMBER 20, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWEAN GOV'T PRESSES AHEAD TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
President Mnangagwa wants the death penalty banned and the Zimbabwean government is pressing ahead with plans to have the death penalty removed from its statutes, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi said on 19 December 201
DECEMBER 6, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYCONCLUDED THE MISSION OF HANDS OFF CAIN IN ZIMBABWE
Hands Off Cain's mission to Zimbabwe ended in Harare.
- DECEMBER 6, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE MOVING CLOSER TOWARD ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe is moving closer toward abolishing capital punishment as proposals to that effect will soon be tabled before cabinet, local media reported.
- DECEMBER 4, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: 3 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Three men were last week condemned to hang by the High Court after being convicted of murder with actual intent, Newsday reported on 26 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 28, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE FOR WIFE BEHEADER
The Supreme Court on 27 November 2018 confirmed the death sentence on a Binga man who axed his wife 11 times and chopped off her head before hiding it in a cardboard box following a domestic dispute.
OCTOBER 17, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: 81 DEATH ROW INMATES AWAIT EXECUTION
Zimbabwe Prisons says it has in its custody, a total of 81 death row inmates with some now having been on the list for more than 10 years, newzimbabwe.com reported on 17 October 2018.
- OCTOBER 11, 2018ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT 'WHOLEHEARTEDLY' AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed his view on death penalty stressing that it was an affront to human dignity, africanews reported on 10 October 2018.