Abstract
With Africa’s independence from colonial rule, the promise of the new constitutional orders faded as military coups, one-party states, and socialist regimes eroded the political legitimacy of the new countries. The death penalty became a political weapon to be used against people believed to be threats to the regime, isolating and intimidating opponents and cementing the power of the president. The economic austerity caused by Africa’s debt crisis and the atrocities committed by murderous regimes made the operation of capital punishment lawless. The three most egregious capital trials, of independence-era politician Orton Chirwa in Malawi, human rights attorney Koigi wa Wamwere in Kenya, and environmental justice advocate Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria, triggered serious international protest and isolated the ruling governments.
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Notes
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© 2014 Andrew Novak
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Novak, A. (2014). The Politicization of the Death Penalty after Independence. In: The Death Penalty in Africa: Foundations and Future Prospects. Palgrave Pivot, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137438775_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137438775_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, New York
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