Update: Human rights groups are demanding the release of activist Sylvester Namiwa as he awaits a delayed bail ruling in his treason case, according to Nyasa Times. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition and the Mzuzu Youth Caucus both issued statements criticizing the prolonged wait after High Court Judge Mzondi Mvula reserved his decision on August 13. The State did not oppose the bail application. Namiwa was briefly admitted to a clinic due to deteriorating health before being returned to Maula Prison, raising questions over his right to personal liberty and a fair trial.
In a separate development, the search for a new Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau has collapsed after every shortlisted candidate, including Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi, failed their interview, Nyasa Times reports. Attorney General Frank Mbeta confirmed the outcome and noted that the position will be readvertised soon. The top post at the anti-graft agency has been without a substantive head for nearly two years following the departure of Martha Chizuma at the end of her term in 2024.
Meanwhile, the State has concluded its case against eight men accused of violently disrupting a civil servant pay protest at Lilongwe's Botanical Gardens in March 2025. According to allAfrica, defence lawyer Khwima Mchizi cross-examined an Airtel Malawi engineer regarding call data records presented to the court. The telecommunications expert conceded that the data could only pinpoint the general area of the subscribers, rather than their exact locations during the alleged attack. Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe is scheduled to rule on whether the accused have a case to answer on October 26.