Zimbabwe: No Hangman

An article (from Inter Press Service news wire) explained that the 60-odd prisoners on death row in Zimbabwe cannot be executed because the country cannot find a hangman.  This is actually not an unusual problem; a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have precisely the same problem, and even India, a major retentionist country, has trouble finding one when needed.  I have long believed that the death penalty is dying a slow death because of lack of supply, not necessarily lack of demand.  As another example, the difficulty for state death rows in the United States in importing drugs necessary for lethal injection (especially considering export rules of the European Union, where many are produced) will ensure that the death penalty will continue to decline even in the United States.

The article interestingly states that Zimbabwe has a "moratorium on the death penalty" as the issue is still before the full cabinet.  Zimbabwean public opinion is against the death penalty, which is aligned with precolonial Shona tradition, which did not employ the death penalty (but see Botswana, where the Tswana did perform the death penalty and public opinion still favors, which is an interesting juxtaposition).  According to the deputy minister of justice, Zimbabweans shun the job of hangman for superstition and cultural reasons, because many people believe that the act of carrying out an execution brings "evil spirits" to the hangman and his family.  The deputy minister of justice "castigated the death penalty describing it as a primitive and inhumane form of punishment" according to the article, and said that all prisoners should have their sentences commuted.

"Requirements" for the job, according to the article include dexterity in tying a knot and a cold-hearted person.  The monthly salary is 300 dollars, which is extremely low, and the job is reserved for men only.  "Zimbabwe's last hangman is said to be struggling with his conscience and claims to have regretted his job," according to the article.  All in all, a fascinating piece describing public opinion, cultural attitudes, and the abolitionist opinions of a high-level government official.