Tapiwa Makore Murder: Amnesty Opposes Death Penalty For Shamba And Makore Senior
Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, Khanyo Farisè, has expressed opposition to the death penalty given to Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Senior by the Harare High Court for the murder of Tapiwa Makore three years ago.
Farisè stated that the death penalty violates the right to life and is a premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a person by the state in the name of justice. Farisè acknowledged the pain felt by Tapiwa’s family but stressed that the death penalty is not an appropriate response, and anyone found guilty of a crime after a fair trial should be held accountable without resorting to the death penalty.
Amnesty International is urging Zimbabwean authorities to commute all death sentences to prison terms and establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty for all crimes. Responding to the news Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Senior have been sentenced to death, Khanyo Farisè said:
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to execute the prisoner. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
While Amnesty International acknowledges the pain and anguish felt by Tapiwa’s family following the death of Tapiwa Makore, the death penalty is never the appropriate response and must never be used in any circumstances anywhere in the world. In opposing the death penalty, Amnesty International in no way seeks to minimize or condone the crimes for which those sentenced to death were convicted. Anyone found guilty of a crime after a fair trial that meets international standards should be held accountable without resort to the death penalty.
Zimbabwean authorities must abolish the death penalty for all crimes
There is no credible evidence that the death penalty has a greater deterrent effect on crime than prison terms. Amnesty International is urging the authorities in Zimbabwe to commute all death sentences to prison terms. Also, we call on the Zimbabwean authorities to establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.
Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Senior were sentenced to death by the Harare High Court on July 12, 2023, for the murder of Tapiwa Makore. The victim was murdered on September 17, 2020, and was found disfigured and dismembered, which sparked outrage among the public. The trial at the Harare High Court resulted in the conviction of Shamba and Makore Senior for the crime, leading to their sentencing to death. The brutal nature of the crime has generated significant media attention, and the verdict has been met with mixed reactions from the public.
