Zambia has abolished the death penalty and revoked a law on vilifying the head of state, two promises made by President Hakainde Hichilema elected last year after spending decades in opposition.
The president yesterday signed the decree that abolishes these laws inherited from the colonial era, arousing enthusiastic reactions from NGOs and human rights activists.
Hichilema "approved the Penal Code 2022 which abolishes the death penalty and the criminal offense of defamation of the president, which has been in Zambia's codes since the pre-independence era," presidency spokesman Anthoiny Bwalya said in a statement. Press conference.
According to a well-known human rights activist, Brebner Changala, this decision represents an important step towards the establishment of a true democracy.