The Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court's decision that the man must hang. He can only hope for clemency from President Ian Khama. But it has never been the practice of sitting presidents in Botswana to pardon people sentenced to death. So, like Thamo we shall all be waiting to see what president Khama will do. If President Khama should refuse to give the man clemency, he will surely hang. But what good would come out of his death? It surely does not bring back the dead woman. Her people remain hurting. The man will be dead and will not live to regret his horrible act.
It is partly out the realisation that the death penalty does not bring any remedy to those whose loved ones have been killed that many countries have abolished it. A clear majority have supported a UN Resolution against the death penalty in each of the last three years (in 2010 the majority was 109 vs 41). Botswana remains one of the few countries that continue to put people to death.
