HARARE, Zimbabwe — In a significant legal shift, Zimbabwe has officially ended the death penalty, a decision that many anticipated given the country’s lengthy pause on executions. The last execution took place in 2005, and the nation has not enforced capital punishment for nearly two decades.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who himself once faced the death penalty during the 1960s due to his involvement in the independence struggle, sanctioned the new legislation this week following its approval by Parliament. The alteration in the law offers clemency to around 60 individuals currently on death row.

The absence of a state executioner contributed to the halt in executions, as there were periods when officials were unwilling to undertake the role. Amnesty International labeled this legislative development as “a beacon of hope for the abolitionist movement in the region,” highlighting a broader conversation about the death penalty in Africa.

Several other nations on the continent, including Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana, have taken encouraging steps toward abolishing capital punishment, although they have yet to formalize the changes into law. Since assuming the presidency in 2017, Mnangagwa has been vocal about his opposition to the death penalty, referencing his own historical experience with execution sentences, which he received for an act of sabotage during the liberation struggle.

In addition to abolishing the death penalty, Mnangagwa has also employed presidential pardons to translate death sentences into life imprisonment for some convicts.

According to recent statistics from Amnesty International, approximately three-quarters of countries worldwide continue to practice capital punishment, with 24 African nations having fully abolished it. Globally, a total of 113 countries have eliminated the death penalty entirely. Amnesty International documented 1,153 known executions around the world in 2023, marking a rise from 883 the previous year, yet the number of executing nations dwindled from 20 to 16. The organization notes that its statistics do not include executions in North Korea, Vietnam, and China, countries where high secrecy surrounds such matters, and which Amnesty considers the leading executioners globally.

In the data compiled, Iran and Saudi Arabia were responsible for nearly 90% of the executions reported in 2023, with Somalia and the United States also featured prominently.