Chola Milambo, ZAMBIA’s permanent representative to the UN, claims that the nation is advancing the cause of human rights.
According to Dr. Milambo, this comes after President Hichilema signed Bill Number 25 of 2022, the Penal Code (Amendment), which eliminates the death penalty and the crime of Criminal Defamation of the President.
According to him, the death penalty degrades human dignity and should be abolished or at the very least put on hold in order to advance human rights.
This is in a press release from the press and public relations first secretary.
Namatama Njekwa is the permanent representative of Zambia to the UN.
“Zambia remains committed to a strong program of economic and governance reforms. Over the past 16 months of its governance, the New Dawn Administration under President Hichilema, has taken bold steps in setting grounds for transformative change. Uplifting human rights is a key point in this regard,” Dr Milambo said.
According to him, the President first declared on May 25, 2022, that he intended to abolish the death penalty and instead put an emphasis on the preservation and rehabilitation of life while upholding the principle of equal justice for everyone.
By the President’s consent on December 23, 2022, according to Dr. Milambo, all clauses of the Penal Code Act that mandated the imposition of the death penalty in the absence of mitigating circumstances have been repealed.
Similar to this, Section 69 of the Penal Code Act, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, which defined the crime of “Criminal Defamation of the President,” has subsequently been abolished with the President’s approval.
Dr Milambo said, “By the removal of the death penalty and abolishment of draconian laws such as the defamation of the President, we believe we are heading in the right direction.
He said going forward, Zambia will support resolutions at the UN regarding placing a moratorium on the Death Penalty.”
He said Zambia will, therefore, be voting in favor of the resolution, “Moratorium on the use of the death penalty” at the United Nations General Assembly. Zambia has in the past abstained her vote on this resolution.
