Africa-Press – Botswana. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International says President Duma Boko has the opportunity to consign the death penalty to history.
The fate of a young Motswana woman convicted of drug trafficking and facing execution in Bangladesh has cast an international spotlight on Botswana’s stance on the death penalty.
In a recent commentary on its website, human rights watchdog Amnesty International says it believes that President Duma Boko holds the power to intervene in the case of Lesedi Molapisi and begin the process of abolishing capital punishment at home.
Amnesty International campaigner Nkanyiso Mtolo notes in the commentary that Molapisi’s case has reportedly prompted Botswana’s diplomatic representatives to reach out to authorities in Dhaka to call for clemency and the protection of her rights.
Stark contrast
However, Mtolo argues that the Botswana Government’s efforts abroad stand in stark contrast to its position on capital punishment domestically where the death penalty remains legal and enforced.
He then goes on to express the view that President Boko is “uniquely positioned” to lead Botswana away from the practice of executions.
“As a human rights lawyer, he spent much of his career challenging the legitimacy of the death penalty,” says Mtolo. “He now has the opportunity to consign it to the history books.”
Boko’s opposition to capital punishment is well documented. In the early 2000s, he spearheaded constitutional challenges against the death penalty and defended several clients on death row.
15 men on death row
Since assuming office in late 2024, he has not signed off on any death warrants. According to Amnesty, as of May 2025, 15 men remain on death row in Botswana.
While this apparent restraint signals a shift, Amnesty insists it is not enough. The group argues that without an official moratorium or legislative reform, the execution system remains intact and operative.
But there are early signs of potential change. The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Nelson Ramaotwana, recently announced plans to repeal the decades-old Prisons Act and introduce a new Correctional Services Act.
The proposed law aims to enshrine principles of rehabilitation and human dignity, providing a potential opening to pursue broader human rights reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty.
Moral contradiction
In its commentary, Amnesty argues that Lesedi Molapisi’s situation reveals a moral contradiction in Botswana’s justice policy.
“The same government that rightly pleads for compassion in Dhaka has in the past signed off on death warrants in Gaborone under a veil of silence,” Mtolo points out.
“If the sanctity of life is worth defending abroad, it must be defended without exception at home.”
The human rights group further contends that there is no credible evidence to support the notion that capital punishment deters crime more effectively than life imprisonment.
Rather, says Amnesty, the death penalty perpetuates a cycle of state-sanctioned violence, denies the possibility of reform, and carries the irreversible risk of wrongful execution.
Moratorium on executions
Mtolo calls on President Boko to seize the moment: “He should declare an official moratorium on executions and commit to legislative reform,” he writes.
“These are not radical demands – they are necessary steps towards a justice system that respects dignity, accountability, and the sanctity of life.”
The case of Lesedi Molapisi, whose life now hangs in the balance thousands of kilometres away, may yet be the catalyst for a fundamental rethinking of justice policy in Botswana.
“If Lesedi’s case has taught us anything,” Mtolo asserts, “it is that life is too precious and justice too fallible to gamble with. Botswana must lead not by the weight of tradition but by the courage of its values.”
Source: Botswana Gazette
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