Times Of Swaziland: WHEN WILL SIMELANE BE HANGED?

WHEN WILL SIMELANE BE HANGED?
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The Editor on 30/06/2020 00:10:00


Sir,
No doubt David Simelane will die many times before his death. Indeed he has died
many times before his death. But when will he really be dead?
The court endorsed his death; now the fundamental question is: how long should a
convict on death row wait for death? It is clear that the purpose of a death
sentence is to facilitate death by execution.
It is counterproductive to have a condemned convict wait indefinitely for the
execution of a death sentence, particularly because of the possibility that
death may come during the waiting and consequently achieve what the sentence
didn’t intend, which is death by natural causes other than execution.
Condemned
In a case where the condemned does not die as a case of execution, it would mean
that the death sentence was foiled. What is the purpose of a death sentence that
does not come into effect? The Supreme Court affirmed his death sentence. Some
of the aggrieved relatives have asked for his immediate execution. They want his
death warrant to be hastily executed. They applauded the Supreme Court for the
judgment, saying he deserved it. These reactions are sufficient to show that
Simelane is wanted dead by all means. It remains to be seen whether the green
light will be given or a decision to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.
Execution
The victims’ relatives are eagerly waiting for Simelane’s execution just as
he, himself, is waiting for his execution although not with eagerness.
Considering that it took a decade to arrive at what may be described as a point
of no return, it is a thing of wonder whether the execution of a death sentence
validated by the final rung of justice hierarchy could also take that long.
Simelane got a death sentence by hanging for murder. The Supreme Court of Appeal
backed the death sentence. Murderers are penalised not only for murder but they
are also penalised so that others may not become murderers. It is important to
bring closure to this human drama of inhumanity. The longer Simelane is allowed
to live after the final judicial decision, the longer it will take to close the
murder case.
Justification
Curiously, Simelane may live longer than his death sentence but as long as the
death penalty is accommodated by the country’s justice system, there is no
justification for keeping condemned convicts waiting.
It is unclear how long this death row convict will live, and this amounts to
contempt.
The debate about the death penalty for murder did not begin today and it will
continue as long as society is unable to conceive a different punishment for
murder that will capture the gravity of the crime. Murder is the ultimate crime
and death is the ultimate punishment. An ultimate crime deserves an ultimate
punishment.
Colleen Matsebula