17 July 2015 :
Zimbabwe no longer has female prisoners on death row in compliance with the new constitution.The country’s sole female prisoner on death row has been removed after her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
Shylet Sibanda, the only female inmate who was on death row for the murder of Daniel Sithole committed together with the help of her husband Tongai Zireni Mutengerere and a family friend Darlington Nyaungwe, withdrew her court application seeking a review of her death sentence on July 15.
Sibanda, through Advocate Fadzi Mahere, withdrew her matter on the basis that her death sentence has since been commuted to life imprisonment.
Sibanda and her accomplices were all sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Felistus Chatukuta for murdering Sithole in 2010 and stealing the deceased’s vehicle.
The three committed the offence in 2010 and were sentenced to death by the High Court after Justice Chatukuta found no extenuating circumstances.
(Sources: zbc.co.zw, 15/07/2015)