HARARE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is moving closer toward abolishing capital punishment as proposals to that effect will soon be tabled before cabinet, local media reported.
The Herald newspaper reported Friday that Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was addressing delegates at the 11th international meeting of ministers of justice on death penalty in Rome, Italy Thursday, said "the coming into force of the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe brought a significant trajectory on the question of death penalty."
He noted that the death sentence in the country may now be imposed only on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances.
"Secondly, such form of sentence must not be imposed on women, male persons who are under the age of 21 and over the age of 70 years convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances. The Criminal Procedure and Act has already been amended in order to give effect to this constitutional provision," Ziyambi said.
Zimbabwe currently has 81 prisoners on the death row, while 127 are serving life terms.
Zimbabwe has not carried out any executions since 2005 when the last hangman retired.
Since then, there has been a moratorium on executions as the country is still searching for a hangman.
At the same time, 89 member states of the United Nations have urged Zimbabwe to review its position on the death sentence and abolish it.
