Malawian activist Sylvester Namiwa detained, access denied

Sylvester Namiwa, executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives, was arrested and taken to Lingadzi Police Station in Lilongwe on accusations of publishing false news. Police denied access to the activist, refusing to allow UTM President Dalitso Kabambe, other civil‑rights defenders and the public to visit him. Kabambe called for transparency and warned that Malawi must not become a police state.

Namiwa’s arrest follows a series of allegations he made against senior officials, including accusing First Lady Gertrude Mutharika’s charity of wrongful enrichment and accusing Deputy Minister of Homeland Security Norman Chisale and Lands Minister Chimwemwe Chipungu of amassing suspicious wealth. Police have not disclosed the specific reasons for his detention, prompting criticism from human‑rights groups and calls for due‑process safeguards.