This morning Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCCA) gave a vote of thanks during the celebration of the abolition of the death penalty worldwide organised at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre by the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
In attendance was the Guest of Honour, Minister of Justice, Hon. Mulambo Haimbe SC, who is also Member of Parliament for Lusaka Central Constituency. The other notable attendees included the United Nations Country Coordinator for Zambia, the European Union (EU) Deputy Head of Mission for Zambia, and Commissioners and senior representatives from the Human Rights Commission itself.
The convention heard that the death penalty is an old, archaic, and unproductive law and an un-Zambian concept that must go. Zambia needs to join the 24 African countries that have abolished the death penalty.
A total of 170 countries have abolished the death penalty globally and 90 countries have so far signed the Second Option Protocol of which the Zambian DeFacto Moratorium is now 25 years old.
PRISCCA thanks the political will that has been committed as we also thank the cooperating partners, Zambian community and our close collaborative work with the media from both the electronic and print media channels as we implore for the total appeal and replacement of the Penal Code Cap 87 and the Criminal Procedure Code Cap 88.