Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRGG), has hailed President John Magufuli’s decision to commute the sentences of 256 convicts on death row, in which he sustained a record of non-execution for more than three decades.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, the commission’s Chairman, Mohamed Hamid Hamad described the move as substantial in upholding principals of the country’s constitution and international protocols.
“The commission is in support with the president’s decision, and we ‘re here to register our gratitude,” he said, explaining that death is against the constitution which provides the right to live.
He went on to note that the death sentence is in contradiction with efforts to promote human rights. Hamid informed that the impact of death on an individual, family, community and the nation is huge.
“Death penalty doesn’t offer a second chance for people to correct their wrongdoings, neither does it reinstate the dead,” he said.
Besides, he said a lot of people have been under psychological torture not knowing when the president will sign off their deaths.
He was optimistic that the decision by President Magufuli will set grounds to amend the legislation and invalidate the death penalty.
Marking the country’s Independence Day on Wednesday, President Magufuli gave a fresh impetus to human rights activists and advocates that have been calling for abolition of the death penalty in the East African country.
Citing the law (penal code), Magufuli noted with concern that the legislation demands that the Head of State authorises the death of all convicts on death row.
He said he was commuting the 256 convicts to life imprisonment.
Report from the Ministry of Home Affairs indicates death row inmates are spread across many notorious prisons and have been living in untold agony and despair.
In Tanzania, the last execution was authorised by former President, Ali Hassan Mwinyi in 1994.
