I AM THE NATIONAL HANGMAN

I, a journalist, was privileged to have a one-on-one session with the official national hangman of a country in the southern parts of Africa. The government in question has a long British colonial history and has been appearing in the international press for all the wrong reasons. The interview session was held at the maximum security jail; as expected, the condition of the prison is colonial derelict and, with minimum maintenance over the years, now casts a sad look. Every building in the expansive vicinity is roofed with corrugated iron and in various advanced stages of rusty erosion. The central prison is encircled by a 9-foot-tall wall with various guard towers at intervals. The prison cantonment is set far from town in an undulating tropical rainforest with massive acreage where the inmates spend their hours tilling the land under the watchful guard of armed warders.

 

It is a dead place, and any visitor, like me, could sense the claustrophobic feeling and some noisome cloying stench of rubbish and assorted decomposing matter and unwashed bodies. I am told the inmates are close to 2000 in enclosures meant to house a third of the figure.

My exciting conversation with the hangman was conducted outside the main prison enclosure under a huge mango tree where warders occasionally relaxed and chatted away in their free time.

If there is an archetype of a hangman, then it is Mphulanga Zawana. Zawana claims to have had more experience than anyone else in the world in the lawful business of snuffing out the lives of the condemned.  

He is a silent, rather sullen man who is not a pleasant face. His face is long and crooked, deeply lined, and concave.  He also has dark eyes, not giving out anything behind them; they resemble, I think, a large and tragic plastic doll. But the most striking thing about him is the feeling he emits from within, like that of suppressed fire, a man with whom any human intimacy seems unlikely and impossible. He is dressed in an old threadbare vest and dark blue trousers, and despite the marauding heat, he is putting on black plastic gum boots.

 

Zawana has served for forty-plus years in the prison department as a warder. Of the forty years, thirty-seven have been as the national hangman, having joined the prison service during colonial times and been an assistant to the colonial hangman for seven years.

Zawana is not accessible to discuss many things, but he is happy to talk about his grotesque calling. From his comments and pride in discussing his job, he seems exceptionally proud of his macabre skills.

“What is your job title?” I ask him

He looks at me quizzically, takes a long draw of his filter-less cigarette, and answers slowly in a thick drawl.

“I am prison corporal class two- That is my rank and job description.”

“But you are also the national hangman!” I persist.

“There is no such title,” he answers back. I am a warder, and any warder as a prison officer is expected to do the job I am doing right now. It is not a hangman but an executioner. There is a distinct difference in using those terms,” he adds.  

“What made you opt for such a job?”

“It is a job, like any other,” he retorts. Somebody has to do it. I am also just doing the quest of society. Though I add that the particular job has many allowances, not every warder is cut for this kind of job. No wonder I was headhunted for this opening."

“On average,”- I persist, “How many have you despatched to the maker?”

He looks up in the sky and answers:

“Giving a figure would not be fair to those departed souls, making them mere statistics and slightly less than lower creatures.”

I leave that line of questioning.

“What are the normal procedures before hanging takes place?”

“The Warden will have all the arrangements in place on the day before the scheduled execution, and the prisoner will be transferred to a holding cell, which we warders call the death house on that day. He is expected to spend at least 24 hours in the death cell as the prison makes preparations for his demise. This ensures that the prison administration has nearly 24 hours to re-stage the execution due to unforeseen contingencies.

“What kind of unforeseen contingencies?”

Here, Zawana Smiles and answers:

” In the unlikely event that something should go wrong, the prisoner remains alive.”

‘’ Has that ever happened before?”

‘” Not on my watch.”

“The usual paperwork and other stuff. The prison commandant typically gives the order to send the condemned prisoner a few minutes after midnight to meet the legal demands of execution on the specified day.

“Reportedly, executions are always done in the dead of the night. Any good reason for that action?”

Ordinarily, executions are carried out as soon after midnight as is feasible. Executions are very difficult emotionally on prison personnel and the other inmates in general. Generally, it takes about ten to fifteen years from when the judge delivers his verdict to when the condemned person climbs the gallows. So, despite what the condemned person has been convicted for, the long incineration has led them to get to know everybody in the prison environment up close and personal; they have become humanized while waiting for their sentences to be carried out. So then it is only appropriate that the sentence be carried out in these silent hours when the prison is supposedly quieter with other prisoners asleep and locked down.  But then, on the evening of the execution, an eerie silence descends on the entire prison locality, and the inmates move about in a sad mood with only murmurings heard.” Zawana adds.

“And interestingly, even without being told, the minute after the despatch of the fellow inmate, the entire prisoner body erupts in a loud voice and so much clatter as if a break out is imminent. It explains why warders are added for extra security the evening before the hanging. It also explains why no hanging is done during a full moon.”

“What is the connection between the full moon and hangings?” I ask. But Zawana pointedly ignores me.

How do condemned inmates approach their final hours?

“In my experience, inmates approach their execution in widely different ways. A few are angry, belligerent, or defiant as they are led to the gallows. Many are completely silent, having fully accepted their fate. Others, especially the Christian adherents, sing loudly to their creator. A few others fight every inch of the way, and sometimes,” Zawana says, “Very few show fear or anxiety -- the crying, screaming, protesting, praying, or begging that has been depicted in some movies. Generally, he says, men are stoic as they are led away. Here, he takes a long pull on his cigarette: “They have had plenty of time to cry, or pray, or object, or resist. And they have no reason to be surprised because they all have known their death date for a considerable time in advance”.

On the whole, for most, it seems to be a relief because all the waiting has finally come to an end;”

He continued,

“During this long period of incarceration while awaiting execution, are the condemned prisoners regretful for their actions?”

“The prisoners rarely talk about execution among themselves or with the guards. Nor do the condemned prisoners sit around feeling sorry for themselves, though, of course, some are genuinely sorry for their actions and their families and the families of their victims being left behind. People on Death Row have had plenty of time to adjust to their upcoming death, and for many, it is something of a relief that the waiting is almost over.

Neither do the inmates go to their deaths, still proclaiming their innocence; they have already done that through numerous appeals, and they realize they are headed for death irrespective of guilt, complicity, or actual innocence. They recognize that they have been convicted and that their convictions have been upheld, however incorrect or unfair that might be.”

Worst of all, however, is the situation of those prisoners who give in to despair. They have no hope or belief that they will ever get out, and they find prison life, which is quite unpleasant beyond their endurance.  I have witnessed seven condemned inmates committing suicide in their cells as they are not keen to wait for the official execution. Indeed, suicide is by far the most common way that people die in prison, much more frequent than execution, old age, or even murder.

They know precisely how the day will end for them and that there is no possibility of reprieve or postponement. They have had plenty of time to write final letters, notes, poems, or anything else, so there is no hurried scribbling. While every person approaches their execution in their own way, people generally are stoic about it. Some read a Bible or other holy book. Some pray, generally silently. No one tries to be humorous, heroic, or memorable. They wait patiently for the end to approach.

One might suppose that an inmate who has committed very severe or very many crimes and who believes in Heaven and Hell would be fearful of his approaching punishment. That is not so. Consider, as we have all seen, the officers about to be hanged for war crimes; those men all were cooperative and stoic and silent, allowing themselves to be executed without resistance or objection. That is what it is. Zawana concludes.

How do the condemned spend their days?

“As per the prison's standing instructions, the condemned prisoners have a boring existence as they spend most of their days enclosed in their cells, having about six hours out of their cells for the sun and other communal tasks like eating, recreation, or watching television. They typically have no interaction with other inmates and are never to be involved in work gangs for two hours weekly. They may have access to religious services and may receive visits from family and friends, though these visits are often closely monitored. Waiting for appeal before a final decision on execution sometimes lasts a lifetime”.

“What happens during the day of execution?”

“On the day of execution, the condemned inmate is usually moved to a separate area outside the main prison, which stands about 500 meters from the main prison and where the gallows have been erected and which also doubles as the carpenter's store room. Extra wardens are posted for closer supervision. The prisoner who is about to die would normally spend at least twenty-four hours in this excluded cell and get the opportunity to meet with a spiritual advisor, legal team, and two select persons. A warden trained as a counsellor would also meet with the condemned to explain the process and answer any questions. We call this warden “the death counsellor.”

A doctor also examines the condemned to certify that they are not suffering some illness or injury, which would make execution legally an act of cruelty. I am told, in the USA, where execution is through a lethal injection, the doctor first uses an antiseptic before plunging the needle in the skin to stop any infection.” Here, unexpectedly, Zawana guffaws loudly.

“As the executioner, I normally take his measurements and weight to assist in my preparations, which would involve getting the right length of rope for hanging and constructing a rudimentary coffin. Back in the gallows room, I do the rehearsals under the watchful eyes of the prison commandant and select warders. This involves oiling the manila rope to make it suppler for the hanging, greasing the trap door, and rehearsing using a sack laden with soil equivalent to the inmate's weight.”

“So what happens in the final hour, final minutes?” I press on.

“It's important to note that the experience of being on death row and facing execution is highly individual and can be emotionally and psychologically challenging for anybody as well as for their families and loved ones. As the final moments approach, some inmates may pass the time reading the bible, the Koran, or any of the holy books. Some may write a last letter to a select person. Some cry, some pray, and most remain mute, lost in their thoughts. In the final moments, the inmate will be offered a simple last meal, which many decline. He will take a final shower and receive a new uniform and an adult diaper.  And finally, he will be back handcuffed and a black hood placed on his head. He will then be led to the execution chamber unless he is too scared to walk, and then he might have to be carried away. Even in some cases, his mouth will be taped if he is noisy. The prisoners walk barefoot into the death chamber. At that point, the legal team selects family members, the families of his victims (If it was a murder case), the prison chaplain, a doctor, and the prison commandant are seated in an adjacent room facing the gallows to witness the execution. The condemned person would be briefly allowed to face this seated group and also asked for any final words or statement for the witnesses to hear, though whatever he says is unlikely to have a bearing on what is to follow.

The inmate is then led to climb the six-foot gallows, where I am waiting to slip the noose on his neck and ensure that his feet are well planted on the trap door. I look at the execution commander, and at a nod from the commandant, which is passed over to me, I unlock the trap door. With a swoosh, the inmate falls, and the rope snaps the third and fourth vertebrae of the spinal cord. Death is usually instantaneous. A doctor would check for any signs of life within a few minutes. Finding none, he would declare the prisoner deceased. And the witnesses immediately escorted out of the prison”.

“Very few families of the condemned person,” Zawana continues, “are keen to be involved in the burial, so under my direction, we, the warders, clean the body and place it in a cheap coffin made to order in the afternoon of the execution. It was nothing fancy, a mere collection of timber nailed together for less than 50 dollars. The body would be in this temporary casket and await burial the following day by the other prisoners within the vast prison cemetery. It is just another day in the office; nothing exciting, dramatic, confused, delayed, or gone wrong. A rather anti-climactic end for some violent and perhaps serial killer”.

“Do you, as the executioner, offer some words of comfort or even speak to the condemned person?” I ask him.

‘No,' he answers back. That is not my job. In any case, the tension is normally so palpable for everyone in the vicinity that the prisoner, too, is now incapable of absorbing any new matter.

 

“Does this hanging ritual affect your mental state and your emotions?  Do you believe in God or religion? Do you have a family?” I ask him.

“Taking the life of a fellow human being is a bad experience,” Zawana admits, “and in the early days, it haunted me, but with time I have taken it into my stride. But it has had a big effect on my family life as my wife, soon after our marriage on discovering my duties, walked out of my life, and so I am a loner, and what keeps me going is the camaraderie of my fellow warders. I believe in a greater power though somewhere in the beyond, I am spiritual without being religious.” Zawana adds.

“Do you recall any exceptional cases during your duties as a national executioner?” I ask again, “Two cases, “he replies, “there was a case where I miscalculated the length of the hanging rope and releasing the trap door, his condemned person's neck just snapped off, leaving the head at the end of the rope while the body tumbled downwards. The head squealed for about a minute with the mouth opening and closing and the eyes shifting in the sockets,” Zawana recalls. “It was a very long minute”.  He keeps quiet for a long minute and continues.

 “The second case was of a condemned inmate whose neck was solid who, despite having been released through the trapdoor, remained alive, breathing heavily as he tweaked around. After about ten minutes of the useless theatrics, I was, as the appointed executioner, forced to despatch him to his maker personally”.

“How?” I asked.

What happens to the hanging noose?

"'Normally, it is buried with the victim, however in the recent past, I have been keeping them intending to auction them online"

“What would you consider your major challenges?”  I ask him

“It is about time we also go for international benchmarking,” he says without batting an eyelid. “After all, mine is a job just like the globetrotting Members of parliament.

“Why?”-  I ask with half a laugh.

“So that we can learn about best practices in the industry. I googled and discovered that China is the global leader in death by hanging, with figures totaling about 1000 annually. Iran averages about 500, but these figures are from official records.  In most Islamic countries, hangings are conducted as a matter of course and are not even recorded.

Our use of the rope to snap off the head of the condemned is a bit old-fashioned and crude. I prefer visiting at least four states in the United States where the death sentence is still allowed legally. There are a variety of methods, like the use of the electric chair or the use of the lethal injection.

“I see…” I murmured

“We could also benchmark with some Latin American countries where the use of the firing squad is still in vogue. Though I wouldn’t recommend that as it might lead to my job loss,” he adds with a slight eerie grin.” But I suspect my most exciting place to benchmark, I think, would be Somalia under the Al Shabaab, he says, “in this area, The method of execution is the traditional and time honoured manner of using a sword which has been weighted by wielding some iron weightage on the blunt end for a clean sweep.  But despite that, it is not uncommon for the clean sweep to fail, and the executioner is forced to make two or more swings before the head is severed from the body.”   Zawana smiles and coughs as he lights another cigarette.

“The execution is normally held at the Al Shabaab headquarters in Jilib on a Friday after the midday prayers. The condemned man is normally sent from prison to a hospital 12 or so hours before the execution, where he is made to “donate” several pints of blood, leaving him with just enough blood to keep them alive until the execution. He is also heavily sedated, so much so that the prisoner would not put up any resistance when being led to his death. In some cases, he might also be forced to ingest enough hashish, making him a zombie during the period leading to the execution.”

Zawana is in his macabre element as he explains the last moments of the condemned person in the Al Shabaab territory. “The blindfolded condemned man dressed in white is led with hands tied on the back and is then made to kneel with the head facing Mecca and his neck made to stick out just long enough for it to get chopped off.; unlike here, the hangman is assured of a steady supply of condemned men, which is good for the pocket,”

So, what do you intend to pursue once you are retired? I ask. “I am retired, and on contract, but if the government finally releases me, I intend to seek work as a pig butcher, which should keep me busy for about fifteen years before my body finally stalls; then, I think I will end it all using a long well-oiled rope. Death would be, I suspect, a stab of lightning and soothing silence. “

“What do you mean?  I ask

Again, Mphulanga Zawana, the national hangman, pointedly keeps quiet.