An eye for an eye

| Wednesday March 24, 2010 00:00

Moving forward to face his fate he tried to look strong. With no word of comfort, a shoulder of solace and family to bid him farewell he had to be strong. I know he tried to be. Remembering the warm laughter of his wife, the squeaky noise of his son who enjoyed teasing him must had been his last thoughts. Tears rolled down his eyes, but he did not say a word.

  His fate had been sealed at the High Court months back and had been waiting in agony for this day that is never set on calendar for the death row inmate to know. Two prison guards wearing black hoods over their heads took him to the gallows. His death was inevitable. He had refused to wear a hood saying he will 'face' his fate like a man. His last tears rolled down his face and he asked the 'executioner' standing next to him to tell his family he loves them and he is innocent.  'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for thou art with me,' read the Priest citing excerpts of Psalms 23 from the Bible. The next sound was his neck breaking and a few minutes later he was confirmed dead. According to prison protocol he was to be buried in the prison yard where dozens of other death row inmates had faced a similar fate.  His body hung helplessly. He had met his fate - death by the executioner's hand. Alone. His wife's loving embrace in his last days was nothing but a distant memory. A few will remember him for what he truly was. Only stories in the media will seal his fate a brutal murderer who deserved to die. 

In the dingy backyard a man with lavish 10 roomed house and a swimming pool gave his life. His last sight was not the picturesque Lake Kariba; it was not his 12-month-old son or his new bride. It was the face of a priest, a stranger, two men wearing black hoods, and flat land where he was to hang, and there his life was taken away.

An eye for an eye is the way of the world. He who takes life shall have his taken. The golden rule states after all  'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. But should it be so? Does taking the life of offenders bring back our beloved? In site of the growing number of incidents of human error, can we still uphold capital punishment? What of the possibility that those who have been executed might have been innocent?  The judiciary is a system set by humans. As humans we all acknowledge our weakness, we are not perfect, we are susceptible to error including the best of us. A man's life cannot depend on the arguments of strangers in court - the prosecutor and defence lawyer. There are cases where people have been accused wrongly and then later acquitted. Against such a background on what moral ground can we proclaim with unwavering certainty that an offender deserves to die? It should be noted that this is not an acclaim of murderers who have no regard for human life. After all, death of any man cannot be celebrated especially if robbed of his life. It is a painful experience for surviving members of the deceased. No man has the right to take any other's life. However, I believe there has to be a balance between protecting the society and justice.

It is human to seek revenge. It is human to see those that offended you suffer more pain. But in the process we may punish the innocent in the worst possible way. Because in the real world nothing is in black and white we can never really know. There are plenty grey areas. It is human investigations that lead to suspects, then trials and judgement by humans.

May be you quarrelled with her the previous night and neighbours heard the noise. You are the number one suspect because there is 'evidence' and your neighbours might be witnesses.

However it might have been a simple case of being drugged by odourless chemicals most robbers use in South Africa and your wife murdered in your 'sleep'. I am giving clear examples of human error. When there is a man's life at risk is it not worth considering giving them a life sentence in maximum prisons? The society will remain safe when they are locked up.

Dealing with loss of a beloved is painful especially under horrendous circumstances such as murder. But we do not bring them back by doing the same to offenders.  Rex may your soul rest in peace....Ndlelanhle is now at primary school and he is the best in his class. Lorraine still misses you, always, but she is happily married again, wherever you are I know you understand! 

Ndaba Nkomo