The Catholic Centre for Justice, Development and Peace (CCJDP) has called on government to abolish the death penalty.
CCJDP acting director Sam Mulafulafu yesterday said the Zambian government should abolish the death penalty.
"We wish to use to the occasion, once again, to call on the Zambian government to abolish the death penalty like the majority of civilised societies have done," he said.
Mulafulafu said CCJDP supports the views of many citizens and concerned groups who are calling for the forgiveness of the 43 former Zambia Army officers and men whose death sentence was recently upheld by the Supreme Court. "Whereas we abhor anarchy, lawlessness and believe that such conduct must be punished, in the interest of public good, we refuse to accept that the death penalty should be used to punish any crime," he said.
Mulafulafu said Christian values of respect for human dignity in all situations and especially a deeper belief in universal human rights, which give every human being, the right to life in all situations, should be respected.
"Our security as citizens of Zambia does not lie in continuing to have the threat of death on our statutes but on the performance of our security wings and the judiciary in protecting the lives and property of citizens," he said.
Mulafulafu said it was CCJDP's sincere hope that government shall consider this plea favourably and even go further to do away with capital punishment as a way of demonstrating humanity as a country.