Murderers must hang: President
President Mugabe has called for the restoration of the full effects of the death penalty, with all the conditions that existed prior to the adoption of the new Constitution in 2013. This followed a steep increase in murder cases where people are being killed with actual intent. The new Constitution adopted in 2013 allows the death penalty with certain variations. According to Section 48 of the Constitution, the law permits the death penalty only on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances, and the law permits the court the discretion of whether or not to impose the penalty.
The same section continues to say that death penalty must not be imposed on a person who was less than 21 years old when the offence was committed or who was more than 70 years old. Further, the death penalty must not be imposed or carried out on a woman and the person sentenced must have a right to seek pardon or commutation of the penalty from the President.
President Mugabe made the call to overhaul the new provisions at the burial of national hero Cde Don Kwaedza Muvuti at the National Heroes’ Acre yesterday. His remarks were informed by the recent chilling murder of a Catholic nun, Plaxedes Kamundiya, while she was praying at a shrine in Mutoko. President Mugabe recounted how Sister Kamundiya was murdered, saying such actions called for a relook at the death penalty with a view to restoring its full effects.
“Saka, ah ndafunga kuti kwete, let’s restore the death penalty,” he said. “Vanhu chionai vari kutamba nerufu kuuraya vamwe. Ko, ndozvatakarwira? Tiri kuviga Don nhasi apa, ndozvatakatambudzikira here vakomana mumasango? Takati nyika iuye, nyika yemufaro, nyika yekugarisana, kwete nyika yekuurayana. Saka ipapo mukazonzwa zvokuti munhu akuuraiwa, zvino akauraya vamwe, moziva kuti pfungwa dzaVaMugabe dzakabva dzazoguka zvino, vakanga vakamira parobot riri green, zvino robot yaared. Hatidi, hatidi, hatidi, hatidi, hatidi kuramba tichinzwa izvozvo asi ipai rudzidzo kuvana vedu vechidiki ava varikukura. Zvino murume mukuru angapihwe rudzidzo rwekuita sei?”
The President continued: “PaMusami kune nzvimbo dzinonzi dzakakosha dzaMwari. They are Catholics kunonamatwa, kune madzimai akazvipira kuti hatiroorwe tinova masisters manun sekunana Dominican Convent kuya. Zvino kuna nun vakange vachienda kunonamata pane imwe nzvimbo yakakosha ndokukaririrwa ipapo nemunhu anotozivikanwa kut uyu ndewemunzvimbo iyoyo.
“Nun akapfeka hanzu dziye idzi dzechisister, vomushaya voti ko mumwe wedu uya akaenda kunonamata ngatimutsvagei. Wotsvagwa, mazuva maviri wakamushaya. Ngatirambei tichitsvagisisa angagova akaenda kupi? Munhu waMwari, munhu sister ndokuzoona ah, akatoyangaruka-ruka ari mudhamu. Akabatwa, akadzipwa, akaitwa rape, akauraiwa ndokubva akandwa mumvura. Vakomana, zvichiitika munyika yedu yatinoti nyika yerusununguko? Ndozvakarwirwa nanaDon, ndozvatakarwira izvozvo? Ah, kwete! Saka pfungwa dzinoramba dzichiuya dzichiti patakatora isu simba kubva kuvarungu, takabva tamisa kuti nyaya yekuti hongu, munhu wakauraya munhu yaamurder, munhu asungirwa for murder auraiwe.
“Tiri kukumbirwa nedzimwe nyika kuti dai mamboongorora kuti zvakanaka here kuti titi uyu afa, touraya mumwe futi wechipiri. Vanobva vava vaviri. Tinoda humanitarianism kuti tive nepfungwa yekuregererana tichiona kuti ah, kuzviisa mumwoyo murimi maurairwa hama moti, uyu, uyu akakanganisa zvake asi ngaaregererwe zvinenge zvichirema. Asi tanga tichimboramba takadaro tichiitira kuti tinoziva kuti tine pfungwa dzakasiyana-siyana even muCabinet medu. Even tiri vatatu, ini ndaiti aiwa ngauraiwe, Va(Emmerson) Mnangagwa vanoti ngatiitei tsitsi, Va(Phelekezela) Mphoko, ah, hatisati tanzwa pfungwa dzavo panyaya iyi.”
BY Tendai Mugabe
