The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) has opposed the adoption of a clause, by the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), to uphold the death penalty in the Constitution.
EFZ Executive Director Pukuta Mwanza says the death penalty should be abolished because it does not reflect the Christian values of the country.
Reverend Mwanza told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that according t biblical principles, no one has the right to take away another person’s life.
He saidd that those who commit murder should instead be subjected to life imprisonment with hard labour. He said this is one way of keeping such people away from society.
Reverend Mwanza expressed disappointment at the NCC’s decision to adopt the clause to retain the death penalty in the new Constitution. He also expressed displeasure at some clergymen who are in support of the idea.
On February 3 this year, delegates to the NCC agreed that the death penalty be retained in the new Constitution when they were considering article 31 clause two of the Mung’omba draft Constitution and Human Rights Committee report chaired by Commissioner Enoch Mulembe.
The clause states that a person shall not be deprived of life intentionally except in the execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the law in force of which that person has been convicted.
ZANIS
Death penalty is a sad idea but will teach al esson to those ruthless killers.
He that kills by a sword should die by a sword.When death penalty is re-intro,Big thugs won’t misbehave they will be afraid to commit offenses leading to such penalties.Even sinners in Heaven will face internal death if they don’t repent.
DOn’t encourage crime in the name of Church
%-( The death penalty should be retained especially now that our justice system has colapsed otherwise murder cases will increase especially now that the I.G has declared that threatening violence is not an offence.
There is nothing to think twice about. No human being must sit down and think of taking other people’s lives. Yes, these criminals must be give a life sentence with very very hard labor.