Sylvester Namiwa pleads not guilty to treason in Malawi

Sylvester Namiwa, the executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), has pleaded not guilty to charges of treason and publishing false news in Lilongwe. The charges stem from comments Namiwa made during a July 2024 television interview regarding sensitive political issues.

During the plea-taking hearing before High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula, prosecutors announced their intention to seek the revocation of Namiwa’s existing bail. Namiwa’s defense lawyer, Gladwell Majekete, objected to the move, characterizing it as an ambush because the defense had not been served with the application in advance.

The court has ordered the State to file and serve the bail-revocation application by September 16, 2026. The defense has until September 22 to respond, with a hearing on the matter scheduled for September 23. The substantive trial is expected to commence on October 14, 2026.