The convicted Botswana national, Ms Lesedi Molapisi, who was due to be hanged by the Bangladeshi authorities on Friday March 21, has been granted a last-minute stay of execution.
The Ambassador of Botswana to India, Gilbert Mangole, announced in a radio interview that the government of Botswana has appealed Ms Molapisi’s conviction and sentence.
The appeal was lodged on the instruction of the new President of Botswana, Duma Boko. A new date for the appeal is expected in the coming months.
Ms Molapisi was sentenced to death after being found guilty for smuggling over 3kg of heroin in May 2024. Her execution was delayed due the violent political unrest in Bangladesh.
Across the Republic of Botswana, there is a groundswell of support for her life to be sparred. Many see her as a naive victim of the unscrupulous drug kingpins who prey on young vulnerable African women.
![Hordes of students marching against the Bantu Education system and the use of Afrikaans as a medium in schools, during the June 16, 1976, Student Massacres / Soweto Uprisings [Image: GSMN]](https://gsmn.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soweto-uprising-2-1-1.jpg)
