South Africans caught in Nepal prison fires

Riots swept across Nepal last week, leading to the ousting of the government. Several government buildings, including parliament and prisons, were torched. Photo: Wikipedia user हिमाल सुवेदी (Himal Subedi) via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The families of two women serving life sentences for drug trafficking in Nepal are concerned about their whereabouts after riots hit the country last week. They fear they may be injured, dead or trapped in hiding.

During the riots, which led to the ousting of the government, several prisons were set alight. 13,500 inmates escaped, and on Friday, more than 12,500 were still at large, Nepalese authorities said.

The women are among seven South Africans arrested for drug trafficking in Nepal in 2022. They were caught with 51kg of heroin between them and sentenced to life in prison.

One of them is Marlese Badenhorst, recruited by a Nigerian syndicate in Gauteng, who was caught with 6kg of heroin in a Kathmandu hotel infamous for drug deals. She made brief contact with her family and friends in South Africa on Wednesday before disappearing again. She told them she was with the other South African women who had been arrested and convicted with her.

“She was absolutely terrified,” said her close friend, who asked not to be named.

Both Badenhorst and a family member have tried to call the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the South African Consulate in New Delhi, including its satellite office in Nepal, but have not been helped.

“Her passport was destroyed in the fire, she got separated from the other women, and has no money,” said the family member. “She’s scared she will be raped or killed because she is helpless, and there are dangerous mobs running rampant. She begged us to get [the South African government] to arrange safe passage home.”

“Out of sight, out of mind, that’s the attitude,” said a family member of the other missing women.

Corruption is rife in Nepal’s law enforcement structures, and the prison system is controlled by gangs. South Africa does not have a prisoner transfer agreement with Nepal, meaning the women must complete their life sentences there. But their destroyed identity documents can only be replaced by the South African government.

The total number of South Africans incarcerated in Nepal is unknown. DIRCO did not respond to GroundUp’s queries despite several follow-up attempts.

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