Zimbabwe: Dozens Want To Be Executioner
More than 50 people – including women – have applied for the post of hangman in Zimbabwe.
The post of executioner has been vacant for 12 years. Media reports have speculated that former Justice Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was reluctant to have it filled due to his opposition towards the death penalty.
During Zimbabwe’s liberation war, Mnangagwa, now Zimbabwe’s vice president, only escaped the noose himself because he was under the age of 18.
President Robert Mugabe said last year that his cabinet is divided regarding the death penalty. Nevertheless, Mugabe advertised the position in August of this year.
A top official in the Justice Ministry, Virginia Mabhiza, said, “People are very interested…The response has been overwhelming”.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund estimate that Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate is over 80%. This could explain the staggering number of applicants for the grisly post.
Zimbabwe has not hanged anyone since 2005, although more than 90 people remain on death row.
