Lemiso Media has reported that a Botswana woman, Lesedi Molapisi, was executed in Bangladesh today after being found guilty of drug trafficking. Molapisi was hanged at 10:30 a.m. local time (GMT+6) on Friday, March 21, 2025. She had been sentenced to death in May last year for smuggling over three kilograms of heroin into the country.
Her execution had been delayed for several months due to political unrest in Bangladesh, but today, authorities carried out the sentence, ending any hopes of a possible appeal.
Botswana’s High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries, Gilbert Mangole, had recently stated that a Bangladeshi appeals court had not yet set a hearing date for Molapisi’s case.
Despite this, the execution proceeded as planned, raising questions about whether diplomatic efforts to delay or overturn the sentence had any impact.
Her case is yet another example of how countries like Bangladesh strictly enforce their anti-drug laws, leaving little room for leniency once a conviction has been secured.
Molapisi’s case has drawn attention, especially as it coincides with the situation of a Kenyan national, Nduta, who is facing execution in Vietnam under similar circumstances.
Nduta was scheduled to be hanged this past Sunday for drug-related offenses, but there has been no official update on her fate. Her family and supporters remain in distress, hoping for last-minute intervention.
The lack of information surrounding her case has increased concerns about her well-being, especially given Vietnam’s reputation for carrying out executions without public announcements.
Both Bangladesh and Vietnam have some of the harshest drug laws in the world, where trafficking large quantities of narcotics often leads to the death penalty. While many human rights groups have criticized these extreme punishments, arguing that some individuals may have been manipulated by international drug cartels, governments in these countries remain firm in their stance.
They justify their strict approach by citing the need to curb drug trafficking and maintain social order.The timing of Molapisi’s execution also comes just a day after Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, made it clear that Kenya will not support illicit activities such as drug trafficking or human smuggling.
He emphasized that Vietnam has its own judicial system that operates independently from Kenya’s, suggesting that Nduta might not receive any government intervention.
This statement has sparked mixed reactions, with some arguing that the Kenyan government should do more to protect its citizens abroad, while others insist that those who engage in illegal activities must face the consequences.
As news of Molapisi’s execution spreads, it serves as a harsh warning to others who might consider getting involved in drug trafficking.
The consequences in such countries are severe, and once caught, legal appeals rarely lead to leniency. Her case is a reminder that engaging in such crimes can result in irreversible outcomes, no matter the circumstances or the country involved.
Meanwhile, the world continues to watch and wait for updates on Nduta’s situation, as her fate remains uncertain.
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