LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The High Court Judge Mzondi Mvula has reserved his ruling on a bail application by Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives ( executive director Sylvester Namiwa who is under State custody on charges of treason and publication of false news likely to cause alarm to the public.
The court sat in chamber on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026 in Lilongwe to hear the bail application and State’s response on the application. Namiwa was not present in court as it was a chamber matter.
Nimiwa’s lawyer Gift Mwenye prayed to the court to grant Namiwa bail, adding that the State, in its response, was not objecting to the bail application.
He informed the court that the State proposed bail conditions which included that the court should order Namiwa to pay a bail bond of MK2million, produce two sureties bonded at MK3 million non-cash, surrender travel documents, be reporting to police on a Friday every fortnight, and should stop granting interviews similar to what led to his arrest.
Mwenye said Namiwa did not have problems with the conditions except for the MK2 million bond which he found to be on the higher side and he prayed that the court should reduce the sum.
“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 the bail application, arguing that the State concluded investigations into the matter.
However she asked the court to maintain the bail conditions proposed by State if the court decides to release Namiwa on bail.
“It’s our prayer that the court considers the conditions as they are and also exercise its discretion,” said Msimuko.
Another defence lawyer Innocent Ziba maintained that the MK2 million bond was excessive for Namiwa and prayed that the amount be reduced to MK500 000.
“Bail conditions given to the accused should not be unreasonable,” said Ziba.
Mvula emphasised that issues of bail are a discretion of the court.
He also indicated that he had not had time to go through the submissions of both parties and stated that he needed time to go through them and come up with a ruling on the matter.
He said the parties would be communicated to once the ruling is ready and he adjourned the matter to a later date.
Source: Nationonline
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