Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) executive director Sylvester Namiwa will remain in police custody after filing his bail application as the High Court of Malawi has reserved its ruling.
The activist, who is facing charges of treason and publication of false news likely to cause alarm to the public and was arrested on July 30 2026, filed his application through lawyer Gift Mwenye who requested the court to grant his client bail.
The lawyer noted that the State was not objecting to the application.
Mwenye told the court that the State had proposed bail conditions, including a K2 million bail bond, two sureties bonded at K3 million each in non-cash, surrender of travel documents, reporting to police every fortnight on Fridays and a condition that Namiwa should refrain from granting interviews similar to the one that led to his arrest.
The lawyer said his client had no objection to the proposed conditions except for the K2 million bail bond, which he argued was excessive.
“Namiwa is a person on low income. In all his human rights work, he doesn’t have an income and he does that voluntarily,” said Mwenye.
State lawyer Tapiwa Msimuko confirmed that the State was not objecting to bail, saying investigations into the matter had been concluded.
But she asked the court to maintain the proposed conditions should it decide to release Namiwa on bail.
Msimuko also told the court that the State would be ready to serve the defence with disclosures within seven days.
PresidingJudge Mzonde Mvula said bail was at the court’s discretion.
He said he needed more time to consider the submissions from both parties and review them before making a ruling.
Mvula said parties to the case would be informed once the ruling was ready, and then adjourned the matter.
Namiwa’s initial attempt to secure bail before the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court proved unsuccessful because only the High Court hears treason cases, meaning the magistrate’s court has no jurisdiction to grant bail in the matter.
