Zuma says no to death penalty

16 March 2012 - 11:13
By Sapa

President Jacob Zuma has killed any notion of the death penalty being re-introduced.

Zuma was asked during question time in the National Assembly on Thursday whether he would consider establishing a judicial commission to probe whether giving the high courts the freedom, after due legal process, to impose the death penalty for murder.

A clearly surprised Zuma responded: “Did I hear the honourable member [say] the freedom to sentence people to death? Is that what he’s saying? I don’t think I’ll take a decision and establish a judicial commission of inquiry on that issue. I will not.

“This is a decision that was taken by the Constitutional Court. And it is left like that, I won’t do it. Absolutely, very clear,” he said.