Catholic Church’s Sant’Egidio Community commends HH for abolishing death penalty
Speedwell Mupuchi
1 January 2023
THE Community of Sant’Egidio has expressed great satisfaction with the decision by President Hakainde Hichilema of the Republic of Zambia to abolish the death penalty.
In a statement, Sant’Egidio expressed satisfaction with developments in Zambia and said in 2011 and 2018, delegations from Sant’Egidio travelled to Zambia to meet with state officials and other actors as part of the abolitionist campaign.
The abolition of the death penalty is among the key areas of global engagement by one of the Catholic Church’s most influential movements led by lay people – the Community of Sant’Egidio.
The organisation is dedicated to evangelisation, social justice and charity in more than 70 countries worldwide.
The Community of Saint’Egidio stated that the abolition of the death penalty in Zambia was a step forward for Africa to become a capital punishment-free continent.
This is according to an article by Fr Paul Samasumo published by the Vatican News.
President Hichilema said that the abolition was a fulfillment of his campaign promise to amend laws that inhibit the growth of democracy, good governance, and human rights in Zambia.
“Fellow Zambians, during our campaigns for the presidency, we promised to amend all laws that inhibit the growth of democracy and good governance, impede human rights and basic freedoms. Today we have delivered,” said Hichilema.
Fr Samasumo said in effect, Zambia has been abolitionist in practice since 1997.
He noted that although the country’s courts continued to pass the death sentence, no Zambian President had issued a death warrant in the last 25 years.
“The intersection between the death penalty, racism, economic inequality, and poverty is stark. Zambian national Kafumu Kalyalya writing under the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research, has previously said that there has been increasing recognition among the international community that the death penalty primarily affects those with fewer economic means,” he wrote. “The poorest in society are less likely to be able to afford a lawyer and, in turn, enjoy their right to effective representation or even appeal. Therefore, it is no surprise that individuals currently on death row worldwide are overwhelmingly from poor backgrounds.”
The Law Association of Zambia, OHCHR, the lead United Nations entity mandated to promote and protect human rights, Amnesty International, among many bodies have praised President Hichilema for abolishing the death penalty.
